MYR GROUP INC. (MYRG)
SIC breadcrumb: Construction > SIC Major Group 16 > SIC 1623 Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=700923. Latest filing source: 0000700923-26-000007.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read MYRG's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read MYRG's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 3,657,889,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-25 |
| Net income | 118,416,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-25 |
| Assets | 1,644,079,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-25 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-25. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000700923.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 1,142,487,000 | 1,403,317,000 | 1,531,169,000 | 2,071,159,000 | 2,247,392,000 | 2,498,289,000 | 3,008,542,000 | 3,643,905,000 | 3,362,290,000 | 3,657,889,000 |
| Net income | 21,431,000 | 21,154,000 | 31,087,000 | 37,690,000 | 58,759,000 | 85,010,000 | 83,381,000 | 90,990,000 | 30,263,000 | 118,416,000 |
| Operating income | 38,754,000 | 29,558,000 | 50,312,000 | 57,178,000 | 86,545,000 | 118,560,000 | 114,907,000 | 129,093,000 | 54,082,000 | 166,872,000 |
| Gross profit | 134,723,000 | 125,004,000 | 167,060,000 | 214,158,000 | 275,853,000 | 324,981,000 | 343,962,000 | 364,397,000 | 290,319,000 | 423,786,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 1.23 | 1.28 | 1.87 | 2.26 | 3.48 | 4.95 | 4.91 | 5.40 | 1.83 | 7.53 |
| Operating cash flow | 54,490,000 | -9,198,000 | 84,789,000 | 64,899,000 | 175,167,000 | 137,228,000 | 167,484,000 | 71,016,000 | 87,115,000 | 326,567,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 25,371,000 | 30,843,000 | 50,704,000 | 57,828,000 | 44,355,000 | 52,361,000 | 77,056,000 | 84,736,000 | 75,938,000 | 94,372,000 |
| Share buybacks | 101,483,000 | 3,058,000 | 1,043,000 | 778,000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 36,981,000 | 2,868,000 | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000 |
| Assets | 573,495,000 | 603,788,000 | 748,755,000 | 1,007,871,000 | 995,859,000 | 1,121,092,000 | 1,398,858,000 | 1,578,746,000 | 1,488,804,000 | 1,644,079,000 |
| Liabilities | 310,321,000 | 316,749,000 | 424,291,000 | 643,396,000 | 566,567,000 | 601,990,000 | 838,658,000 | 927,544,000 | 888,444,000 | 983,656,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 263,174,000 | 287,039,000 | 322,984,000 | 364,471,000 | 429,288,000 | 519,102,000 | 560,200,000 | 651,202,000 | 600,360,000 | 660,423,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 23,846,000 | 5,343,000 | 7,507,000 | 12,397,000 | 22,668,000 | 82,092,000 | 51,040,000 | 24,899,000 | 3,464,000 | 150,156,000 |
| Free cash flow | 29,119,000 | -40,041,000 | 34,085,000 | 7,071,000 | 130,812,000 | 84,867,000 | 90,428,000 | -13,720,000 | 11,177,000 | 232,195,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 1.88% | 1.51% | 2.03% | 1.82% | 2.61% | 3.40% | 2.77% | 2.50% | 0.90% | 3.24% |
| Operating margin | 3.39% | 2.11% | 3.29% | 2.76% | 3.85% | 4.75% | 3.82% | 3.54% | 1.61% | 4.56% |
| Return on equity | 8.14% | 7.37% | 9.62% | 10.34% | 13.69% | 16.38% | 14.88% | 13.97% | 5.04% | 17.93% |
| Return on assets | 3.74% | 3.50% | 4.15% | 3.74% | 5.90% | 7.58% | 5.96% | 5.76% | 2.03% | 7.20% |
| Liabilities / equity | 1.18 | 1.10 | 1.31 | 1.77 | 1.32 | 1.16 | 1.50 | 1.42 | 1.48 | 1.49 |
| Current ratio | 1.75 | 2.01 | 1.68 | 1.61 | 1.44 | 1.50 | 1.33 | 1.37 | 1.40 | 1.33 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Income statement bridge from reported figures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Revenue: accession 0000700923-26-000007; concept RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax; source concepts us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax | Gross profit: accession 0000700923-26-000007; concept GrossProfit; source concepts us-gaap:GrossProfit | Operating income: accession 0000700923-26-000007; concept OperatingIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss | Net income: accession 0000700923-26-000007; concept NetIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0000700923-26-000007; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0000700923-26-000007; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0000700923-26-000007; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: GrossProfit. Source concepts: us-gaap:GrossProfit.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000700923-26-000007; filed 2026-02-25. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-04-29. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000700923.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | 1.15 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 1.09 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 1.38 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 888,616,000 | 22,273,000 | 1.33 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 939,476,000 | 21,512,000 | 1.28 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 1,004,197,000 | 24,042,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 815,562,000 | 18,939,000 | 1.12 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-03-31 | 18,939,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 828,890,000 | -0.91 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-06-30 | -15,277,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 888,043,000 | 0.65 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 829,795,000 | 15,952,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 833,620,000 | 23,308,000 | 1.45 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-03-31 | 23,308,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 900,325,000 | 1.70 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-06-30 | 26,466,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 950,400,000 | 2.05 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 973,544,000 | 36,548,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 1,000,380,000 | 46,800,000 | 2.99 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000700923-26-000028; filed 2026-04-29. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000700923-26-000028; filed 2026-04-29. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000700923-26-000028; filed 2026-04-29. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0000700923-26-000028.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This management’s discussion and analysis provides a narrative on the Company’s financial performance and condition that should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (the “2025 Annual Report”). In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed herein under the captions “Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements and Information” and “Risk Factors,” as well as in the 2025 Annual Report. We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Overview and Outlook
We are a holding company of specialty electrical construction service providers that was established in 1995 through the merger of long-standing specialty contractors. Through our subsidiaries, we serve the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets. We manage and report our operations through two electrical contracting service segments: Transmission and Distribution (“T&D”) and Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”).
We have operated in the transmission and distribution industry since 1891. We are one of the largest U.S. contractors servicing the T&D sector of the electric utility industry and provide T&D services throughout the United States and in Ontario, Canada. Our T&D customers include many of the leading companies in the electric utility industry. We have provided electrical contracting services for commercial and industrial construction since 1912. Our C&I segment provides services in the United States and in western Canada. Our C&I customers include general contractors and facility owners. We strive to maintain our status as a preferred provider to our T&D and C&I customers.
We believe that we have a number of competitive advantages in both of our segments, including our skilled workforce, extensive centralized fleet, proven safety performance and reputation for timely completion of quality work that allows us to compete favorably in our markets. In addition, we believe that we are better capitalized than some of our competitors, which provides us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and more complex projects.
We believe legislative actions aimed at supporting infrastructure improvements in the United States may positively impact long-term demand and opportunity in both of our reporting segments, particularly in connection with electric power infrastructure, expansion of domestic manufacturing, and transportation spending. However, we may experience unanticipated volatility associated with policy changes, tariffs and global relations. Prolonged uncertainty in the business environment and higher inflation could also impact customer demand and our profitability.
We had consolidated revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2026 of $1.00 billion, of which 54.1% was attributable to our T&D customers and 45.9% was attributable to our C&I customers. Our consolidated revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $833.6 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, our net income and EBITDA(1) were $46.8 million and $81.5 million, respectively, compared to $23.3 million and $50.2 million, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
We believe there is an ongoing need for utilities to sustain investment in their transmission and distribution systems to improve reliability, reduce congestion, connect to new power generation sources, support future load growth, and conduct proper maintenance. We also believe the increased storm activity and destruction caused by wildfires will cause a push to strengthen transmission and distribution systems against catastrophic damage. Transmission and distribution systems may also require upgrades to accommodate additional energy resources and increased electrification. Consequently, we believe that we will see continued healthy bidding activity going forward. The timing of multi-year transmission project awards, along with the related distribution systems and other substantial construction activity is difficult to predict due to regulatory requirements and the permitting needed to commence construction. Any large, multi-year projects awarded in 2026 will not likely have a large impact on our 2026 results because significant construction activity would not occur until 2027 or later. Bidding and construction activities for small to medium-size transmission projects and upgrades, along with distribution systems, remains active, and we expect this trend to continue.
(1) EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. Refer to “Non-GAAP Measure—EBITDA” for a discussion of this measure.
20
Table of Contents
Our C&I bidding opportunities remain strong and we believe we will see continued opportunities in the primary markets we serve such as data centers, transportation, health care, manufacturing, clean energy and warehousing. In addition, the United States has experienced decades of underfunded economic expansion and aging infrastructure that have challenged the capacity of public water and transportation infrastructure forcing states and municipalities to seek creative means to fund needed expansion and repair. We believe the need for expanding public infrastructure in both the United States and Canada will offer opportunity in our C&I segment for several years. Legislation and regulation that promotes domestic manufacturing could also create opportunity for our C&I segment. We expect the long-term growth in our C&I segment to generally track the overall growth of the regions we serve.
We believe the increasing demand for electricity associated with additional power requirements, driven by increased electrification associated with new technologies, including the emergence and adoption of artificial intelligence technologies as well as increased power needs connected to the reshoring of manufacturing, will require significant investment by our customers in both of our reporting segments.
We continue to implement strategies that are designed to further expand our capabilities and effectively allocate capital. We have maintained a strong balance sheet, while also supporting our organic growth with capital expenditures, working capital and share repurchases. We believe the borrowing availability under our $490 million revolving credit facility, cash on hand and future cash flow from operations will enable us to support the organic growth of our business, pursue acquisitions and opportunistically repurchase shares.
We continue to manage our increasing operating costs, including increasing insurance, equipment, labor and material costs. We believe that our financial position, positive cash flows and other operational strengths will enable us to respond to challenges and uncertainties in the markets we serve and give us the flexibility to successfully execute our strategy. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I segments and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity.
Backlog
We refer to our estimated revenue on uncompleted contracts, including the amount of revenue on contracts for which work has not begun, less the revenue we have recognized under such contracts, as “backlog.” A customer’s intention to award us work under a fixed-price contract is not included in backlog unless there is an actual written award to perform a specific scope of work at specific terms and pricing. For many of our unit-price, time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost plus contracts, we only include projected revenue for a three-month period in the calculation of backlog, although these types of contracts are generally awarded as part of master service agreements that typically have a one-year to four-year duration from execution. Backlog may not accurately represent the revenues that we expect to realize during any particular period. Several factors, such as the timing of contract awards, the type and duration of contracts, and the mix of subcontractor and material costs in our projects, can impact our backlog at any point in time. Some of our revenue does not appear in our periodic backlog reporting because the award of the project, as well as the execution of the work, may all take place within the period. Our backlog includes projects that have a written award, a letter of intent, a notice to proceed or an agreed upon work order to perform work on mutually accepted terms and conditions. Backlog should not be relied upon as a stand-alone indicator of future events.
The difference between our backlog and remaining performance obligations is due to the exclusion of a portion of our master service agreements under certain contract types from our remaining performance obligations as these contracts can be canceled for convenience at any time by us or the customer without considerable cost incurred by the customer. Our estimated backlog also includes our proportionate share of unconsolidated joint venture contracts. Additional information related to our remaining performance obligations is provided in Note 6–Revenue Recognition in the accompanying notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Our backlog was $2.84 billion at March 31, 2026 compared to $2.64 billion at March 31, 2025. Our backlog at March 31, 2026 increased $19.2 million from December 31, 2025. Backlog in the T&D segment decreased $37.5 million and C&I backlog increased $56.7 million compared to December 31, 2025. Our backlog as of March 31, 2026 included our proportionate share of joint venture backlog totaling $167.5 million, compared to $176.1 million at December 31, 2025.
21
Table of Contents
The following table summarizes the amount of our backlog that we believe to be firm as of the dates shown and the amount of our current backlog that we reasonably estimate will not be recognized within the next twelve months, and the amount estimated to be recognized after the next twelve months:
| Backlog at March 31, 2026 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | Total | Amount estimated to be recognized within 12 months | Amount estimated to be recognized after 12 months | Total backlog at December 31, 2025 | |||||||||||
| T&D | $ | 980,663 | $ | 903,209 | $ | 77,454 | $ | 1,018,116 | |||||||
| C&I | 1,862,829 | 1,635,420 | 227,409 | 1,806,152 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 2,843,492 | $ | 2,538,629 | $ | 304,863 | $ | 2,824,268 |
Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table sets forth selected consolidated statements of operations data and such data as a percentage of revenues for the periods indicated:
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[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This management’s discussion and analysis provides a narrative on the Company’s financial performance and condition that should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this report, including the Financial Statements and related notes contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.” We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Presentation of Information
The discussion that follows includes a comparison of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. For a discussion of changes for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 (filed February 26, 2025).
Overview-Introduction
We are a holding company of specialty electrical construction service providers that was established in 1995 through the merger of long-standing specialty contractors. Through our subsidiaries, we serve the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets. We manage and report our operations through two electrical contracting service segments: Transmission and Distribution (“T&D”) and Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”).
We have operated in the transmission and distribution industry since 1891. We are one of the largest U.S. contractors servicing the T&D sector of the electric utility industry and provide T&D services throughout the United States and in Ontario, Canada. Our T&D customers include many of the leading companies in the electric utility industry. We have provided electrical contracting services for commercial and industrial construction since 1912. Our C&I segment provides services in the United States and in western Canada. Our C&I customers include general contractors and facility owners. We strive to maintain our status as a preferred provider to our T&D and C&I customers.
We believe that we have a number of competitive advantages in both of our segments, including our skilled workforce, extensive centralized fleet, proven safety performance and reputation for timely completion of quality work that allows us to compete favorably in our markets. In addition, we believe that we are better capitalized than some of our competitors, which provides us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and more complex projects.
We had revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025 of $3.66 billion compared to $3.36 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2025, net income was $118.4 million compared to $30.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Overview-Segments
Transmission and Distribution segment. Our T&D segment provides comprehensive solutions to providers in the electric utility industry. Our T&D segment generally serves the electric utility industry as a prime contractor to customers such as investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, private developers, government-funded utilities, independent power producers, independent transmission companies, industrial facility owners and other contractors. We have long-standing relationships with many of our T&D customers who rely on us to construct and maintain reliable electric and other utility infrastructure. Our T&D segment provides a broad range of services on electric transmission and distribution networks, substation facilities, clean energy projects and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which include design, engineering, procurement, construction, upgrade and maintenance and repair services. Our T&D services include the construction and maintenance of high voltage transmission lines, substations and lower voltage underground and overhead distribution systems, clean energy projects and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We also provide many services to our customers under multi-year master service agreements (“MSAs”) and other variable-term service agreements.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, our T&D revenues were $2.00 billion, or 54.7%, of our revenue, compared to $1.88 billion, or 55.9%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 and $2.09 billion, or 57.3%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023. Revenues from transmission projects represented 59.9%, 60.6%, and 66.1% of T&D segment revenue for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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Our T&D segment also provides restoration services in response to hurricanes, ice storms or other storm related events, which accounted for less than 5% of our annual revenues in 2025, 2024 and 2023.
Measured by revenues in our T&D segment, we provided 34.3%, 43.9% and 52.7% of our T&D services under fixed-price contracts during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Commercial and Industrial segment. Our C&I segment provides a wide range of services including design, installation, maintenance and repair of commercial and industrial wiring, the installation of intelligent transportation systems, roadway lighting, signalization and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In our C&I segment, we generally provide our electric construction and maintenance services as a subcontractor to general contractors in the C&I industry as well as directly to facility owners. We have a diverse customer base with many long-standing relationships. We concentrate our efforts on projects where our technical and project management expertise is critical to successful and timely execution. The majority of C&I contracts cover electrical contracting services for data centers, airports, hospitals, hotels, stadiums, commercial and industrial facilities, clean energy projects, manufacturing plants, processing facilities, water/waste-water treatment facilities, mining facilities, intelligent transportation systems, roadway lighting, signalization and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, our C&I revenues were $1.66 billion, or 45.3%, of our revenue, compared to $1.48 billion, or 44.1%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 and $1.55 billion, or 42.7%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Measured by revenues in our C&I segment, we provided 84.5%, 81.2% and 82.0% of our services under fixed-price contracts for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Overview-Revenue and Gross Margins
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we utilize the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Additionally, contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition.
Gross Margins. Our gross margin can vary between periods as a result of many factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include: the mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve, the size and duration of our projects, the mix of business conducted in different parts of the United States and Canada, the mix of our contract types, the mix of service and maintenance work compared to new construction work, the amount of work that we subcontract, the amount of material we supply, changes in labor, equipment or insurance costs, seasonal and abnormal weather patterns, changes in fleet utilization, pricing pressures due to competition, efficiency of work performance, fluctuations in commodity prices of materials, delays in the timing of projects and other factors. The gross margins we record in the current period may not be indicative of margins in future periods.
Overview-Economic, Industry and Market Factors
We operate in competitive markets, which can result in pricing pressures for the services we provide. Work is often awarded through a bidding and selection process, where price is always a principal factor. We generally focus on managing our profitability by: selecting projects that we believe will provide attractive margins; actively monitoring the costs of completing our projects; holding customers accountable for costs related to changes to contract specifications and rewarding our employees for controlling costs.
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The demand for construction and maintenance services from our customers has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to downturns in the markets we serve as well as the economy in general. The financial condition of our customers and their access to capital, variations in the margins of projects performed during any particular period, and regional and national economic conditions in the United States and Canada may materially affect results. Project schedules, particularly in connection with larger, multi-year projects, can also create fluctuations in our revenues. Other market and industry factors, such as changes to our customers’ capital spending plans or delays in regulatory approvals can affect project schedules. Changes in technology, tax and other incentives and new or changing regulatory requirements affecting the industries we serve can impact demand for our services. While we actively monitor economic, industry and market factors affecting our business, we cannot predict the impact such factors may have on our future results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. As a result of economic, industry and market factors, our operating results in any particular period or year may not be indicative of the results that can be expected for any other period or for any other year.
Overview-Seasonality and Nature of Our Work Environment
Although our revenues are primarily driven by spending patterns in our customers’ industries, our revenues and results of operations, particularly those derived from our T&D segment, can be subject to seasonal variations. These variations are influenced by weather, daylight hours, availability of system outages from utilities, and holidays. During the winter months, demand for our T&D work may be high, but our work can be delayed due to inclement weather. During the summer months, the demand for our T&D work may be affected by fewer available system outages, due to peak electrical demands caused by warmer weather, which limits our ability to perform electrical line service work. During the spring and fall months, the demand for our T&D work may increase due to improved weather conditions and system availability; however, extended periods of rain and other severe weather can affect the deployment of our crews and efficiency of operations. Furthermore, our work is performed under a variety of conditions in different locations, including but not limited to, difficult terrain, sites which may have been exposed to harsh and hazardous conditions, and in large urban centers where delivery of materials and availability of labor may be impacted.
We also provide storm restoration services to our T&D customers. These services tend to have a higher profit margin. However, storm restoration service work that is performed under an MSA typically has similar rates to other work under the agreement. In addition, deploying employees on storm restoration work may, at times, delay work on other transmission and distribution work. Storm restoration service work is unpredictable and can affect results of operations.
Outlook
Our business is directly impacted by the level of spending on T&D infrastructure and the level of C&I electrical construction activity across the United States and Canada. We are optimistic about infrastructure spending and believe related investment activity will continue to positively impact both our T&D and C&I markets for the foreseeable future. We believe that regulatory reform, increased electricity demand, state clean energy portfolio standards, the aging of the electric grid, and potential overall improvement of the economy will positively impact the level of spending by our customers in all of the markets we serve. Although competition remains strong, we see these trends as positive factors for us in the future.
We believe legislative actions aimed at supporting infrastructure improvements in the United States may positively impact long-term demand, and opportunity in both of our reporting segments, particularly in connection with electric power infrastructure, expansion of domestic manufacturing, and transportation spending. However, we may experience unanticipated volatility associated with policy changes and tariffs. Prolonged uncertainty in the business environment and higher inflation could also impact customer demand and our profitability.
We believe there is an ongoing need for utilities to sustain investment in their transmission systems to improve reliability, reduce congestion, connect to new power generation sources and support future load growth. Consequently, we believe we will see continued bidding activity on large transmission projects going forward. The timing of multi-year transmission project awards and substantial construction activity is difficult to predict due to regulatory requirements and the permitting needed to commence construction. Any large, multi-year projects awarded in 2026 will not likely have a large impact on our 2026 results because significant construction activity would not occur until 2027 or later. Bidding and construction activity for small to medium-size transmission projects and upgrades remains active, and we expect this trend to continue.
We believe there is a need for further investment by utilities on their distribution systems to properly maintain their systems or meet reliability requirements. We continue to see strong activity in many of our electric distribution markets. We believe the increased storm activity and destruction caused by wildfires will cause a push to strengthen utility distribution systems against catastrophic damage. Distribution systems may also require upgrades to accommodate additional distributed energy resources and increased electrification. We expect to see an increase in the distribution market opportunities during in 2026.
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We believe the increasing demand for electricity associated with additional power requirements, driven by increased electrification associated with new technologies, including the emergence and adoption of artificial intelligence technologies as
well as increased power needs connected to the reshoring of manufacturing, will require significant investment by our customers
in both of our reporting segments.
Our C&I bidding opportunities remain strong and we believe we will see continued opportunities in the primary markets we serve such as data centers, transportation, health care, manufacturing, clean energy and warehousing. In addition, the United States has experienced decades of underfunded economic expansion and aging infrastructure that have challenged the capacity of public transportation and water infrastructure forcing states and municipalities to seek creative means to fund needed expansion and repair. We believe the need for expanding public infrastructure in both the United States and Canada will offer opportunity in our C&I segment for several years. Legislation and regulation that promotes domestic manufacturing could also create opportunity for our C&I segment. We expect the long-term growth in our C&I segment to generally track the overall growth of the regions we serve.
We continued to implement strategies that further expand our capabilities and effectively allocate capital. We have maintained a strong balance sheet, while also supporting our organic growth with capital expenditures and working capital and repurchasing our shares. During 2025 and 2024, the Company repurchased 639,207 and 643,549 shares, respectively of its common stock under repurchase programs at a weighted-average price of $117.33 and $116.54 per share, respectively. We believe the borrowing availability under our $490 million revolving credit facility, our cash on hand and future cash flow from operations will enable us to support the organic growth of our business, pursue acquisitions and opportunistically repurchase shares.
We continue to manage our increasing operating costs, including increasing insurance, equipment, labor and material costs. We believe that our financial position, positive cash flows and other operational strengths will enable us to respond to challenges and uncertainties in the markets we serve and give us the flexibility to successfully execute our strategy. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I segments and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity. In 2025 and 2024, we invested in capital expenditures of approximately $94.4 million and $75.9 million, respectively. Most of our capital expenditures supported opportunities in our T&D business. We plan to continue to evaluate our needs for additional equipment and tooling to support future growth.
Understanding Backlog
We define backlog as our estimated revenue on uncompleted contracts, including the amount of revenue on contracts for which work has not begun, less the revenue we have recognized under such contracts. Backlog may not accurately represent the revenues that we expect to realize during any particular period. Several factors, such as the timing of contract awards, the type and duration of contracts, and the mix of subcontractor and material costs in our projects, can impact our backlog at any point in time. Some of our revenue does not appear in our periodic backlog reporting because the award of the project, as well as the execution of the work, can all take place within the period. For many of our unit-price, time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts, we only include projected revenue for a three-month period in the calculation of backlog, although these types of contracts are generally awarded as part of MSAs that typically have a one- to four-year duration from execution. Additionally, the difference between our backlog and remaining performance obligations is due to the exclusion of a portion of our MSAs under certain contract types from our remaining performance obligations as these contracts can be canceled for convenience at any time by us or the customer without considerable cost incurred by the customer. Our backlog includes projects that have a written award, a letter of intent, a notice to proceed or an agreed upon work order to perform work on mutually accepted terms and conditions. Our estimated backlog also includes our proportionate share of our unconsolidated joint venture contracts.
Changes in backlog from period to period are primarily the result of fluctuations in the timing of awards, type of awards and revenue recognition of contracts. Backlog should not be relied upon as a stand-alone indicator of future events.
Understanding Gross Margins
Our gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenues. Gross profit is calculated by subtracting contract costs from revenue. Contract costs consist primarily of salaries, wages and benefits to employees, depreciation, fuel and other equipment expenses, equipment rentals, subcontracted services, insurance, facilities expenses, materials and parts and supplies. Various factors affect our gross margins on a quarterly or annual basis, including those listed below.
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Performance Risk. Margins may fluctuate because of the volume of work and the impacts of pricing and job productivity, which can be impacted both favorably and negatively by customer decisions and crew productivity, as well as other factors. When comparing a service contract between periods, factors affecting the gross margins associated with the revenues generated by the contract may include pricing under the contract, the volume of work performed under the contract, the mix of the type of work specifically being performed, the availability of labor resources at expected labor rates and the productivity of the crews performing the work. Productivity can be influenced by many factors including the experience level of the crew, whether the work is on an open or encumbered right of way, weather conditions, geographical conditions, trade stacking, performance of other sub-trades, schedule changes, effects of environmental restrictions, equipment availability and regulatory and permitting delays.
Revenue Mix and Contract Terms. The mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve will impact gross margins. Changes in our customers’ spending patterns in each of the industries we serve can cause an imbalance in supply and demand and, therefore, affect margins and mix of revenue by industry served. Storm restoration services typically command higher profit margins than other maintenance services. Seasonal and weather factors, as noted below, can impact the timing at which customers perform maintenance and repairs, which can cause a shift in the revenue mix. Some of our time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts include shared savings clauses, in which the contract includes a target price and we agree to share savings from that target price with our customer. Additionally, new construction work has a higher gross margin than maintenance and repair work. New construction work is often obtained on a fixed-price basis, which carries a higher risk than other types of pricing arrangements because a contractor can bear the risk of increased expenses. As such, we generally bid fixed-price contracts with higher profit margins. We typically derive approximately 25% to 45% of our revenue from maintenance and repair work that is performed under pre-established or negotiated prices or cost-plus pricing arrangements which generally allow us a set margin above our costs. Thus, the mix between new construction work, at fixed-price, and maintenance and repair work, at cost-plus, in a given period will impact gross margin in that period. The timing of accounting recognition of such savings can impact our margins. In addition, change orders and claims can impact our margins. Costs related to change orders and claims are recognized in contract costs when incurred, but revenue related to change orders is only recognized when it is probable that the change order will result in an addition to contract value and can be reliably estimated, whereas revenue related to claims is recognized only to the extent that contract costs related to the claim have been incurred and when it is probable that the claim will result in an addition to contract value which can be reliably estimated. Generally, no profit is recognized on a claim until final settlement occurs.
Seasonal, Weather and Geographical. Seasonal and changing patterns, primarily related to weather conditions and the availability of system outages, can have a significant impact on gross margins in a given period. It is typical during the winter months that parts of the country may experience snow or rainfall, which can affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Abnormal weather patterns including those related to excessive rainfall and increased thaw and freeze cycles also affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Additionally, our T&D customers often cannot remove their T&D lines from service during the summer months, when consumer demand for electricity is at its peak, delaying maintenance and repair services. In both cases, projects may be delayed or temporarily placed on hold. Conversely, in periods when weather remains dry and temperatures are moderate, more work can be done, sometimes with less cost, which would have a favorable impact on gross margins. The mix of business conducted in different parts of the country could also affect margins, as some parts of the country offer the opportunity for higher margins than others due to the geographic characteristics associated with the location where the work is being performed. Such characteristics include whether the project is performed in an urban versus a rural setting; in a mountainous area or in open terrain; or in normal soil conditions or rocky terrain. Site conditions, including unforeseen underground conditions, can also impact margins.
Depreciation and Amortization. We include depreciation on equipment and finance lease amortization in contract costs. This is common practice in our industry, but can make comparability to other companies difficult. We spend a significant amount of capital on property, facilities and equipment, with the majority of such expenditures being used to purchase additional specialized equipment to enhance our fleet and to reduce our reliance on lease arrangements and short-term equipment rentals. We believe the investment in specialized equipment helps to reduce our costs, improve our margins and provide us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and complex projects.
Material and Subcontract Costs. Projects that include a greater amount of material or subcontractor costs can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material and subcontractor costs in our bids than what we would to our labor and equipment cost. In addition, successful completion of our contracts may depend on whether our subcontractors successfully fulfill their contractual obligations. If our subcontractors fail to satisfactorily perform their contractual obligations as a result of financial or other difficulties, we may be required to incur additional costs and provide additional services in order to make up for such shortfalls. Additionally, we are required to allocate more working capital to projects when we are required to provide materials.
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Insurance. Gross margins could be impacted by fluctuations in insurance accruals related to our deductibles and loss history in the period in which such adjustments are made. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to high deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Losses up to the deductible amounts are accrued based upon estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
Fleet Availability, Cost, Utilization, Estimation, and Bidding. We operate a centrally-managed fleet in the United States in an effort to control rising costs and achieve efficient equipment utilization. We also develop internal equipment rates which provide our business units with appropriate cost information to estimate bids for new projects. Availability of equipment for a particular contract is determined by our internal fleet ordering process which is designed to optimize the use of internal fleet assets and allocate equipment costs to individual contracts. We believe these processes allow us to utilize our equipment efficiently, which leads to improved gross margins. Transmission and distribution projects can require different types of equipment. A significant shift in project mix or timing could impact fleet utilization, causing gross margins to vary.
Cost of Material. On fixed-price contracts where we are required to provide materials, our overall gross margin may be affected if we experience increases in the quantity or costs of materials. Projects that include a greater amount of material cost can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material cost in our bids than what we would add to our labor and equipment cost.
Our team of trained estimators helps us to determine potential costs and revenues and make informed decisions on whether to bid for a project and, if bid, the rates to use in estimating the costs for that bid. The ability to accurately estimate labor, equipment, subcontracting and material costs in connection with a new project may affect the gross margins achieved for the project.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) consist primarily of compensation, related benefits and employee costs for management and administrative personnel, office rent and utilities, stock compensation, communications, professional fees, depreciation, IT expenses, marketing costs and bad debt expense.
Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table sets forth selected statements of operations data and such data as a percentage of revenues for the years indicated:
Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2024
| For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (dollars in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Contract revenues | $ | 3,657,889 | 100.0 | % | $ | 3,362,290 | 100.0 | % | ||||||
| Contract costs | 3,234,103 | 88.4 | 3,071,971 | 91.4 | ||||||||||
| Gross profit | 423,786 | 11.6 | 290,319 | 8.6 | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 256,357 | 7.0 | 238,222 | 7.1 | ||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 4,818 | 0.1 | 4,869 | 0.1 | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale of property and equipment | (4,261) | (0.1) | (6,854) | (0.2) | ||||||||||
| Income from operations | 166,872 | 4.6 | 54,082 | 1.6 | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||
| Interest income | 723 | — | 415 | — | ||||||||||
| Interest expense | (5,648) | (0.2) | (6,525) | (0.2) | ||||||||||
| Other expense, net | (663) | — | (1,479) | — | ||||||||||
| Income before provision for income taxes | 161,284 | 4.4 | 46,493 | 1.4 | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 42,868 | 1.2 | 16,230 | 0.5 | ||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 118,416 | 3.2 | % | $ | 30,263 | 0.9 | % |
Revenues increased $295.6 million, or 8.8%, to $3.66 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025 from $3.36 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $173.6 million in C&I revenue, and increase of $63.2 million in revenue on distribution projects and an increase of $58.7 million in revenue on transmission projects.
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Gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased to 11.6% compared to 8.6% for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in gross margin was primarily due to significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net gross margin decrease of 1.4% for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to a net gross margin decrease of 4.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024. During the year ended December 31, 2025, significant estimate changes negatively impacted gross margin by 2.4%, largely related to an increase in costs associated with labor and project inefficiencies on certain projects and unfavorable change orders. In addition, significant estimate changes in gross profit positively impacted gross margin by 1.0% and mainly related to better-than-anticipated productivity, favorable change orders and favorable job closeouts. During the year ended December 31, 2024, gross margin was primarily impacted by negative significant estimate changes in our estimated gross profit on certain T&D clean energy projects and a C&I project.
Gross profit increased $133.5 million, or 46.0%, to $423.8 million for year ended December 31, 2025 from $290.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, due to higher margins and revenues.
SG&A was $256.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, an increase of $18.2 million from $238.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to an increase in employee incentive compensation costs and an increase in employee-related expenses to support future growth. These increases were partially offset by $10.3 million of contingent compensation expense related to a prior acquisition and recognized during the year ended December 31, 2024, which did not recur.
Gains from the sale of property and equipment in the year ended December 31, 2025 were $4.3 million compared to $6.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2024. Gains from the sale of property and equipment are attributable to routine sales of property and equipment that are no longer useful or valuable to our ongoing operations.
Interest expense was $5.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $6.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This decrease was primarily attributable to lower interest rates during the year ended December 31, 2025 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2024.
Other expense was $0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The change was largely due to higher foreign currency losses from changes in exchange rates on intercompany receivables recognized during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Income tax expense was $42.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, with an effective tax rate of 26.6%, compared to $16.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, with an effective tax rate of 34.9%. The decrease in the tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2025 was primarily due to changes in state tax rates used to measure our state deferred income taxes and lower permanent difference items, partially offset by lower stock compensation excess tax benefits.
Net income increased to $118.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 from $30.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily for the reasons stated above.
Segment Results
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, statements of operations data by segment, segment net sales as a percentage of total net sales and segment operating income as a percentage of segment net sales:
| For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | Amount | Percent | Amount | Percent | ||||||||||
| Contract revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 2,002,440 | 54.7 | % | $ | 1,880,501 | 55.9 | % | ||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 1,655,449 | 45.3 | 1,481,789 | 44.1 | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 3,657,889 | 100.0 | $ | 3,362,290 | 100.0 | ||||||||
| Operating income: | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 157,610 | 7.9 | $ | 69,374 | 3.7 | ||||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 97,207 | 5.9 | 48,041 | 3.2 | ||||||||||
| Total | 254,817 | 7.0 | 117,415 | 3.5 | ||||||||||
| Corporate | (87,945) | (2.4) | (63,333) | (1.9) | ||||||||||
| Consolidated | $ | 166,872 | 4.6 | % | $ | 54,082 | 1.6 | % |
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Transmission & Distribution
Revenues for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $2.00 billion compared to $1.88 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $121.9 million, or 6.5%. The increase in revenue was related to an increase of $63.2 million in revenue on distribution projects, and an increase of $58.7 million in revenue on transmission projects.
Operating income for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $157.6 million compared to $69.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $88.2 million, or 127.2%. Operating income as a percentage of revenues for our T&D segment increased to 7.9% for the year ended December 31, 2025 from 3.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024. Operating income margin was impacted by significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net operating income margin decrease of 0.5% for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to a net decrease of 5.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024. During the year ended December 31, 2025, significant estimated gross profit changes negatively impacted operating income as a percentage of revenues by 1.1% primarily related to labor and project inefficiencies on certain projects. These decreases were partially offset by positive significant estimated gross profit changes totaling 0.6% of revenues mostly related to better-than-anticipated productivity. During the year ended December 31, 2024, T&D operating income margin was negatively impacted by significant estimated gross profit changes related to clean energy projects.
Commercial & Industrial
Revenues for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $1.66 billion compared to $1.48 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $173.6 million, or 11.7%. The increase in revenue was related to an increase of $195.6 million in revenue on fixed priced contracts, partially offset by a decrease of $15.6 million on T&E contracts and a decrease of $6.3 million in revenues on unit price work.
Operating income for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $97.2 million compared to $48.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $49.2 million, or 102.3%. Operating income, as a percentage of revenues, for our C&I segment increased to 5.9% for the year ended December 31, 2025 from 3.2% for the year ended December 31, 2024. Operating income margin was positively impacted during the year ended December 31, 2025, by a larger portion of our C&I projects progressing at higher contractual margins, some of which are nearing completion. Additionally, C&I operating income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was negatively impacted by contingent compensation expense related to a prior acquisition, that did not recur during the year ended December 31, 2025. C&I operating income margin during the year ended December 31, 2025 was also impacted by significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net operating income margin decrease of 2.6% for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to a net decrease of 2.9% for the year ended December 31, 2024. Significant estimated gross profit changes negatively impacted operating income as a percentage of revenues by 4.1%, primarily related to an increase in costs associated with labor and project inefficiencies on certain projects and unfavorable change orders. These decreases were partially offset by positive significant estimated gross profit changes totaling 1.5% and largely related to better-than-anticipated productivity, favorable change orders and a favorable job closeout.
Corporate
The increase in corporate expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to an increase in employee incentive compensation costs and an increase in employee-related expenses to support future growth in our operations.
Non-GAAP Measures
EBITDA
EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure used by management that we define as net income plus interest expense net of interest income, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization, as shown in the following table. EBITDA does not purport to be an alternative to net income as a measure of operating performance or to net cash flows provided by operating activities as a measure of liquidity. We believe that EBITDA is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance and cash flow because EBITDA is widely used by investors to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods, book value of assets, useful lives placed on assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired. Because not all companies define EBITDA as we do, this presentation of EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies. We use, and we believe investors benefit from, the presentation of EBITDA in evaluating our operating performance because it provides us and our investors with an additional tool to compare our operating performance on a consistent basis by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect our core operations.
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Using EBITDA as a performance measure has material limitations as compared to net income, or other financial measures as defined under GAAP, as it excludes certain recurring items, which may be meaningful to investors. EBITDA excludes interest expense net of interest income; however, as we have borrowed money to finance transactions and operations, or invested available cash to generate interest income, interest expense and interest income are elements of our cost structure and can affect our ability to generate revenue and returns for our shareholders. Further, EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization; however, as we use capital and intangible assets to generate revenues, depreciation and amortization are necessary elements of our costs and ability to generate revenue. Finally, EBITDA excludes income taxes; however, as we are organized as a corporation, the payment of taxes is a necessary element of our operations. As a result of these exclusions from EBITDA, any measure that excludes interest expense net of interest income, depreciation and amortization and income taxes has material limitations as compared to net income. When using EBITDA as a performance measure, management compensates for these limitations by comparing EBITDA to net income in each period, to allow for the comparison of the performance of the underlying core operations with the overall performance of the company on a full-cost, after-tax basis. Using both EBITDA and net income to evaluate the business allows management and investors to (a) assess our relative performance against our competitors and (b) monitor our capacity to generate returns for our shareholders.
The following table provides a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | 118,416 | $ | 30,263 | $ | 90,990 | |||||
| Add: | |||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 4,925 | 6,110 | 4,051 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 42,868 | 16,230 | 34,014 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 66,512 | 65,189 | 59,138 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 232,721 | $ | 117,792 | $ | 188,193 |
We also use EBITDA as a liquidity measure. Certain material covenants contained within our credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) are based on EBITDA with certain additional adjustments as defined in the Credit Agreement. Non-compliance with these financial covenants under the Credit Agreement — our interest coverage ratio which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and our net leverage ratio, which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Total Net Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement), divided by Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) — could result in our lenders requiring us to immediately repay all amounts borrowed on our revolving credit facility. If we anticipated a potential covenant violation, we would seek relief from our lenders, likely causing us to incur additional cost, and such relief might not be available, or if available, might not be on terms as favorable as those in the Credit Agreement. In addition, if we cannot satisfy these financial covenants, we would be prohibited under the Credit Agreement from engaging in certain activities, such as incurring additional indebtedness, making certain payments, and acquiring or disposing of assets. Based on the information above, management believes that the presentation of EBITDA as a liquidity measure is useful to investors and relevant to their assessment of our capacity to service or incur debt, fund capital expenditures, finance acquisitions and expand our operations.
The following table provides a reconciliation of net cash flows provided by operating activities to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Net cash flows provided by operating activities | $ | 326,567 | $ | 87,115 | $ | 71,016 | |||||
| Add/(subtract) | |||||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities | (140,399) | 11,074 | 85,426 | ||||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities | (67,752) | (67,926) | (65,452) | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 66,512 | 65,189 | 59,138 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 42,868 | 16,230 | 34,014 | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 4,925 | 6,110 | 4,051 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 232,721 | $ | 117,792 | $ | 188,193 |
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Working Capital
Working capital is a non-GAAP measure. We believe working capital is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance. The Company defines working capital as total current assets less total current liabilities. The following table provides the Company’s calculation of working capital:
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Total current assets | $ | 1,060,761 | $ | 929,407 | $ | 946,889 | |||||
| Less: total current liabilities | (795,277) | (663,645) | (667,847) | ||||||||
| Working capital | $ | 265,484 | $ | 265,762 | $ | 279,042 |
Liquidity, Capital Resources and Material Cash Requirements
As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had working capital of $265.5 million and $265.8 million, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2025, our operating activities provided cash of $326.6 million, compared to $87.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Cash flow from operations is primarily influenced by operating margins, timing of contract performance and the type of services we provide to our customers. The $239.5 million year-over-year increase in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to favorable net changes in operating assets and liabilities of $151.5 million, and an increase in net income of $88.2 million. The favorable change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to the net favorable year-over-year changes in various working capital accounts that relate primarily to construction activities (accounts receivable, contract assets, accounts payable and contract liabilities) of $109.6 million and the favorable change of $59.3 million in other liabilities, partially offset by the net unfavorable changes of $23.6 million in prepaid expenses and other assets. The net favorable changes of $109.6 million in cash provided by working capital accounts, mainly related to construction activities, was due to the timing of billings and payments under our contracts. The favorable change of $59.3 million in other liabilities was primarily due to changes in our employee incentive compensation accruals and the timing of employee related wage and tax payments. The unfavorable change of $23.6 million in prepaid expenses and other assets was primarily due to prepayment of materials required for certain projects.
During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we used net cash of $86.2 million and $67.2 million, respectively, in investing activities. The $86.2 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2025 consisted of $94.4 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $8.2 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment. The $67.2 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2024 consisted of $75.9 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $8.7 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment.
During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we used cash of $94.1 million, and $40.0 million, respectively in financing activities. The $94.1 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2025 consisted primarily of $75.0 million of share repurchases under our prior share repurchase program, $11.0 million of net payments under our revolving line of credit, $4.4 million of payments for equipment notes, $2.6 million of shares repurchased to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs and $1.1 million of payments for finance lease obligations. The $40.0 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2024 consisted primarily of $75.0 million of share repurchases under our prior share repurchase program, $7.1 million of payments under our master equipment loan agreements, $5.9 million of shares repurchased to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs and $1.2 million of payments for finance lease obligations, partially offset by $45.2 million of net borrowings under our revolving line of credit.
We believe our $408.3 million borrowing availability under our revolving line of credit as of December 31, 2025, cash on hand, future cash flow from operations and our ability to utilize short-term and long-term leases will provide sufficient liquidity for our short-term and long-term needs. Our primary short-term liquidity needs include cash for operations, debt service requirements, capital expenditures, and acquisition and joint venture opportunities. We believe we have adequate financial resources to meet our long-term liquidity needs and foreseeable material cash requirements, including those associated with funding future acquisition opportunities. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I segments and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity.
We have not historically paid dividends and currently do not expect to pay dividends.
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Debt Instruments
Credit Agreement
On May 31, 2023, the Company entered into a five-year third amended and restated credit agreement with a maturity date of May 31, 2028, (the “Credit Agreement”) through a syndicate of banks led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A, that provides for a $490 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”), subject to certain financial covenants as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Facility allows for revolving loans in Canadian dollars and other non-US currencies, up to the U.S. dollars equivalent of $150 million. Up to $75 million of the Facility may be used for letters of credit, with an additional $75 million available for letters of credit, subject to the sole discretion of each issuing bank. The Facility also allows for $15 million to be used for swingline loans. The Company has an expansion option to increase the commitments under the Facility or enter into incremental term loans, subject to certain conditions, by up to an additional $200 million upon receipt of additional commitments from new or existing lenders. Subject to certain exceptions, the Facility is secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its domestic subsidiaries, and by a pledge of substantially all of the capital stock of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries and 65% of the capital stock of the direct foreign subsidiaries of the Company. Additionally, subject to certain exceptions, the Company’s domestic subsidiaries also guarantee the repayment of all amounts due under the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement provides for customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Credit Agreement, amounts outstanding under the Facility may be accelerated and may become or be declared immediately due and payable. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement are used to refinance existing indebtedness, and to provide for future working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes.
Amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s option, at a rate equal to either (1) the Alternate Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.25% to 1.00%; or (2) the Term Benchmark Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.25% to 2.00%. The applicable margin is determined based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement). Letters of credit issued under the Facility are subject to a letter of credit fee of 1.25% to 2.00% for non-performance letters of credit or 0.625% to 1.00% for performance letters of credit, based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio. The Company is subject to a commitment fee of 0.20% to 0.30%, based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio, on any unused portion of the Facility. The Credit Agreement restricts certain types of payments when the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio, after giving pro forma effect thereto, exceeds 2.75.
Under the Credit Agreement, the Company is subject to certain financial covenants including a maximum Net Leverage Ratio of 3.0 and a minimum Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of 3.0. The Credit Agreement also contains covenants including limitations on asset sales, investments, indebtedness and liens. The Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2025.
We had $47.4 million and $58.4 million in borrowings outstanding under the Facility as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.
Letters of Credit
Some of our vendors require letters of credit to ensure reimbursement for amounts they are disbursing on our behalf, such as to beneficiaries under our insurance programs. In addition, from time to time, certain customers require us to post letters of credit to guarantee performance under our contracts. Such letters of credit are generally issued by a bank typically pursuant to our senior credit facility. Each letter of credit commits the issuer to pay specified amounts to the holder of the letter of credit if the holder claims that we have failed to perform specified actions. If this were to occur, we would be required to reimburse the issuer of the letter of credit. Depending on the circumstances of such a reimbursement, we may also have to record a charge to earnings for the reimbursement.
As of December 31, 2025, we had $34.3 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement, including $34.2 million related to the Company's payment obligations under its insurance programs and $0.1 million related to contract performance obligations. As of December 31, 2024, we had $37.3 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement including $32.6 million related to the Company's payment obligations under its insurance programs and $4.7 million related to contract performance obligations. We are not aware of any claims currently asserted or threatened under any of these letters of credit that are material, individually, or in aggregate. However, to the extent payment is required for any such claims, the amount paid could be material and could adversely affect cash flows.
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Equipment Notes
We have entered into multiple Master Loan and Security Agreements (the "Master Loan Agreements") with multiple finance companies. The Master Loan Agreements may be used for financing of equipment between us and the lenders pursuant to one or more equipment notes (“Equipment Notes”). Each Equipment Note constitutes a separate, distinct and independent financing of equipment and contractual obligation.
As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had one outstanding Equipment Note collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we also had one other equipment note outstanding collateralized by a vehicle owned by us. The outstanding balance of all equipment notes was $11.6 million as of December 31, 2025, of which $4.6 million was due in the next twelve months. The outstanding balance of these equipment notes was $16.0 million as of December 31, 2024, of which $4.4 million was due in the next twelve months.
Lease Obligations
From time to time, the Company enters into non-cancelable leases for some of our facility, vehicle and equipment needs. These leases allow the Company to conserve cash by paying a monthly lease rental fee for the use of facilities, vehicles and equipment rather than purchasing them. The Company’s leases have remaining terms ranging from less than one to twelve years, some of which may include options to extend the leases for up to ten years, and some of which may include options to terminate the leases within one year. Typically, the Company has purchase options on the equipment underlying its long-term leases and many of its short-term rental arrangements. The Company may exercise some of these purchase options when the need for equipment is ongoing and the purchase option price is attractive.
The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $42.4 million as of December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $13.0 million and $29.4 million, respectively. The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $42.6 million as of December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $12.1 million and $30.5 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2025, we had $2.0 million outstanding finance lease obligations, consisting of short-term and long-term finance lease obligations of approximately $0.8 million and $1.2 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2024, we had $3.0 million outstanding finance lease obligations, consisting of short-term and long-term finance lease obligations of approximately $1.1 million and $1.9 million, respectively.
Purchase Commitments for Construction Equipment
As of December 31, 2025, we had approximately $33.9 million in outstanding purchase obligations for certain construction equipment to be paid with cash outlays scheduled to occur in 2026.
Performance and Payment Bonds and Parent Guarantees
Many customers, particularly in connection with new construction, require us to post performance and payment bonds typically issued by a surety or financial institution. These bonds provide a guarantee to the customer that we will perform under the terms of a contract and that we will pay subcontractors and vendors. If we fail to perform under a contract or to pay subcontractors and vendors, the customer may demand that the surety make payments or provide services under the bond. We must reimburse the respective issuers of the bonds for any claim expenses or outlays they incur. Under our continuing indemnity and security agreements with the issuers of the bonds, we may be required to grant them a security interest relating to a particular project. We believe that it is unlikely that we will have to fund significant claims under our surety arrangements. As of December 31, 2025, an aggregate of approximately $2.35 billion in original face amount of bonds issued by our sureties were outstanding. Our estimated remaining cost to complete these bonded projects was approximately $817.8 million as of December 31, 2025.
From time to time we guarantee the obligations of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, including obligations under certain contracts with customers, certain lease agreements, and, in some states, obligations in connection with obtaining contractors’ licenses. Additionally, from time to time we are required to post letters of credit to guarantee the obligations of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, which reduces the borrowing availability under our credit facility.
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Concentration of Credit Risk
We grant trade credit under contractual payment terms, generally without collateral, to our customers, which include high credit quality electric utilities, governmental entities, general contractors and builders, owners and managers of commercial and industrial properties located in the United States and Canada. Consequently, we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and economic factors throughout the United States and Canada. However, we generally have certain statutory lien rights with respect to services provided. Under certain circumstances such as foreclosures or negotiated settlements, we may take title to the underlying assets in lieu of cash in settlement of receivables. As of December 31, 2025, none of the Company's customers individually exceeded 10.0% of our accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2024, one customer individually exceeded 10.0% of our accounts receivable with approximately of 11.3% of the total accounts receivable amount (excluding the impact of allowance for doubtful accounts).
New Accounting Pronouncements
For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1 — Organization, Business and Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to our Financial Statements.
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities known to exist at the date of the Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates. We believe the following accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Financial Statements:
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer-controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we estimate profit by determining the difference between total estimated revenue and total estimated cost of a contract. In addition, we estimate a cost accrual every quarter that represents unbilled invoicing activity for services performed by subcontractors and suppliers during the quarter, and estimate revenue from the contract cost portion of this accrual based on current gross margin rates to be consistent with our cost method of revenue recognition. The estimated value of unbilled amounts is determined using a regression and other types of analysis, as well as management judgment to produce an estimated value based on the Company’s historical experience, and is adjusted for large individual projects. The profit and corresponding revenue is recognized over the contract term based on costs incurred under the cost-to-cost method. We utilized the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. For purposes of recognizing revenue, we follow the five-step approach outlined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606.
As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Because our billings are based on contract terms and do not coincide with our progress in a project, revenue recognition also includes an amount related to our contract asset or contract liability. If the recognized revenue is greater than the amount billed to the customer, a contract asset is recorded. Additionally, the contract asset includes retainage billed to the customer that cannot be collected until the contract work has been completed and approved. Conversely, if the amount billed to the customer is greater than the recognized revenue, a contract liability is recorded. Therefore, retainage amounts are reflected in contract assets or contract liabilities depending on the net contract position of the particular contract. Additionally, the contract liability includes a liability for the excess of costs over revenues for all contracts that are in a loss position.
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Contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition. Additionally, we estimate costs to complete on fixed price contracts which are determined on an individual contract basis by evaluating each project’s status as of the balance sheet date, and using our historical experience with the level of effort required to complete the underlying project. Claims and change orders are also measured based on our historical experience with individual customers and similar contracts, and are evaluated by management individually. A change order is a modification to a contract that changes the provisions of the contract, typically resulting from changes in scope, specifications, design, manner of performance, facilities, equipment, materials, sites, or period of completion of the work under the contract. A claim is an amount in excess of the agreed-upon contract price that we seek to collect from our clients or others for client-caused delays, errors in specifications and designs, contract terminations, change orders that are either in dispute or are unapproved as to both scope and price, or other causes. We include these estimated amounts of variable consideration to the extent that it is probable there will not be a significant reversal of revenue. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we recognized revenues of $23.5 million and $46.0 million, respectively, related to significant change orders and/or claims that had been included as contract price adjustments on certain contracts, some of which are multi-year projects.
Some of our contracts may have contract terms that include variable consideration such as safety or performance bonuses or liquidated damages. In accordance with ASC 606, we estimate the variable consideration using one of two methods. In contracts in which there is a binary outcome, the most likely amount method is used. In instances in which there is a range of possible outcomes, the expected value method is used. In accordance with ASC 606, we include the estimated amount of variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative recognized revenue will not occur when the final outcome of the variable consideration is determined. In contracts in which a significant reversal may occur, we use constraint in recognizing revenue on variable consideration. We often enter into contracts that contain liquidated damage clauses. We do not include amounts associated with liquidated damage clauses until it is probable that liquidated damages will occur. These items are continually monitored by multiple levels of management throughout the reporting period.
A portion of the work we perform requires financial assurances in the form of performance and payment bonds or letters of credit at the time of execution of the contract. Many of our contracts include retention provisions of up to 10%, which are generally withheld from each progress payment as retainage until the contract work has been completed and approved.
The accuracy of our revenue and profit recognition in a given period is dependent on the accuracy of our estimates of the cost to complete each project. Cost estimates for all of our significant projects use a detailed “bottoms up” approach and we believe our experience typically allows us to provide materially reliable estimates. There are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in estimates of contract cost and profitability. The most significant of these include, among others:
•the completeness and accuracy of the original bid;
•costs associated with scope changes, change orders or claims;
•costs of labor and/or materials;
•extended overhead due to owner, weather and other delays;
•subcontractor performance issues;
•changes in productivity expectations;
•site conditions that differ from those assumed in the original bid (to the extent contract remedies are unavailable);
•the availability and skill level of workers in the geographic location of the project; and
•a change in the availability and proximity of equipment and materials.
The foregoing factors as well as the stage of completion of contracts in process and the mix of contracts at different margins may cause fluctuations in gross profit between periods. During the year ended December 31, 2025, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 1.4%. During the year ended December 31, 2024, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 4.4%. During the year ended December 31, 2023, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 1.7%.
We provide warranties to customers on a basis customary to the industry; however, the warranty period does not typically exceed two years. Historically, warranty claims have not been material.
Total revenues do not include sales tax as we consider ourselves a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales taxes. Sales tax and value added tax collected from customers is included in other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
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Insurance. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to certain deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Our deductible for each line of coverage is up to $1.0 million. Certain health benefit plans are subject to stop-loss limits of up to $0.3 million, for qualified individuals. Losses up to the deductible and stop-loss amounts are accrued based upon our estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
The insurance and claims accruals are based on known facts, actuarial estimates and historical trends. While recorded accruals are based on the ultimate liability, which includes amounts in excess of the deductible, a corresponding receivable for amounts in excess of the deductible is included in current assets on our consolidated balance sheets.
Stock-Based Compensation. We determine compensation expense for stock-based awards based on the estimated fair values at the grant date and recognize the related compensation expense ratably over the vesting period. We use the straight-line amortization method to recognize compensation expense related to stock-based awards, such as restricted stock units, that have only service conditions. This method recognizes stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards that vest based on internal performance metrics and service conditions on a straight-line basis over the service period, but adjust inception-to-date expense based upon our determination of the expected achievement of the performance target at each reporting date which may vary from zero to 200% of the target performance awards. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards with market-based performance metrics on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. We recognize forfeitures as they occur. Shares issued under the Company’s stock-based compensation program are taken out of authorized but unissued shares.
Goodwill and Intangibles. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. We perform either a qualitative or quantitative assessment to review goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment on an annual basis. This assessment is performed at the beginning of the fourth quarter, or when circumstances change, such as a significant adverse change in the business climate or the decision to sell a business, both of which would indicate that impairment may have occurred. Intangible assets with finite lives are also reviewed for impairment and tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
A qualitative assessment considers financial, industry, segment and macroeconomic factors, if the qualitative assessment indicates a potential for impairment, a quantitative assessment is performed to determine if impairment exists. The quantitative assessment begins with a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit or intangible asset with its carrying value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit or intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss would be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit or intangible asset. If the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite lived assets exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment charge would be recorded in the statement of operations.
As a result of the annual qualitative review process in 2025 and 2023, we determined it was not necessary to perform a quantitative assessment. In 2024, we performed a quantitative assessment on our goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives; this assessment did not indicate that our goodwill or indefinite lived intangible assets were impaired.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We do not generally charge interest to our customers, and we carry our customer receivables at their face amounts, less an allowance for doubtful accounts. Based on our experience in recent years, the majority of customer balances at each balance sheet date are collected within twelve months. As is common practice in the industry, we classify all accounts receivable as current assets. The allowance for doubtful accounts associated with account receivables was $0.9 million as of December 31, 2025 and $1.1 million as of December 31, 2024.
We grant trade credit, on a non-collateralized basis (with the exception of lien rights against the property in certain cases) to our customers, and we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and overall economic activity. We analyze specific accounts receivable balances, historical bad debts, customer creditworthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In the event that a customer balance is deemed to be uncollectible the account balance is written-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts.
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MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000700923-25-000006.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This management’s discussion and analysis provides a narrative on the Company’s financial performance and condition that should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this report, including the Financial Statements and related notes contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.” We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Presentation of Information
The discussion that follows includes a comparison of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. For a discussion of changes from the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (filed February 28, 2024).
Overview-Introduction
We are a holding company of specialty electrical construction service providers that was established in 1995 through the merger of long-standing specialty contractors. Through our subsidiaries, we serve the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets. We manage and report our operations through two electrical contracting service segments: Transmission and Distribution (“T&D”) and Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”).
We have operated in the transmission and distribution industry since 1891. We are one of the largest U.S. contractors servicing the T&D sector of the electric utility industry and provide T&D services throughout the United States and in Ontario, Canada. Our T&D customers include many of the leading companies in the electric utility industry. We have provided electrical contracting services for commercial and industrial construction since 1912. Our C&I segment provides services in the United States and in western Canada. Our C&I customers include general contractors and facility owners. We strive to maintain our status as a preferred provider to our T&D and C&I customers.
We believe that we have a number of competitive advantages in both of our segments, including our skilled workforce, extensive centralized fleet, proven safety performance and reputation for timely completion of quality work that allows us to compete favorably in our markets. In addition, we believe that we are better capitalized than some of our competitors, which provides us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and more complex projects.
We had revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 of $3.36 billion compared to $3.64 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2024, net income was $30.3 million compared to $91.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Overview-Segments
Transmission and Distribution segment. Our T&D segment provides comprehensive solutions to providers in the electric utility industry. Our T&D segment generally serves the electric utility industry as a prime contractor to customers such as investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, private developers, government-funded utilities, independent power producers, independent transmission companies, industrial facility owners and other contractors. We have long-standing relationships with many of our T&D customers who rely on us to construct and maintain reliable electric and other utility infrastructure. Our T&D segment provides a broad range of services on electric transmission and distribution networks, substation facilities, clean energy projects and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which include design, engineering, procurement, construction, upgrade and maintenance and repair services. Our T&D services include the construction and maintenance of high voltage transmission lines, substations and lower voltage underground and overhead distribution systems, clean energy projects and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We also provide many services to our customers under multi-year master service agreements (“MSAs”) and other variable-term service agreements.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, our T&D revenues were $1.88 billion, or 55.9%, of our revenue, compared to $2.09 billion, or 57.3%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 and $1.75 billion, or 58.0%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022. Revenues from transmission projects represented 60.6%, 66.1%, and 62.1% of T&D segment revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
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Our T&D segment also provides restoration services in response to hurricanes, ice storms or other storm related events, which accounted for less than 5% of our annual revenues in 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Measured by revenues in our T&D segment, we provided 43.9%, 52.7% and 47.8% of our T&D services under fixed-price contracts during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Commercial and Industrial segment. Our C&I segment provides a wide range of services including design, installation, maintenance and repair of commercial and industrial wiring, the installation of intelligent transportation systems, roadway lighting, signalization and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In our C&I segment, we generally provide our electric construction and maintenance services as a subcontractor to general contractors in the C&I industry as well as directly to facility owners. We have a diverse customer base with many long-standing relationships. We concentrate our efforts on projects where our technical and project management expertise is critical to successful and timely execution. The majority of C&I contracts cover electrical contracting services for airports, hospitals, data centers, hotels, stadiums, commercial and industrial facilities, clean energy projects, manufacturing plants, processing facilities, water/waste-water treatment facilities, mining facilities, intelligent transportation systems, roadway lighting, signalization and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, our C&I revenues were $1.48 billion, or 44.1%, of our revenue, compared to $1.55 billion, or 42.7%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 and $1.26 billion, or 42.0%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Measured by revenues in our C&I segment, we provided 81.2%, 82.0% and 83.3% of our services under fixed-price contracts for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Overview-Revenue and Gross Margins
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we utilize the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Additionally, contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition.
Gross Margins. Our gross margin can vary between periods as a result of many factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include: the mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve, the size and duration of our projects, the mix of business conducted in different parts of the United States and Canada, the mix of our contract types, the mix of service and maintenance work compared to new construction work, the amount of work that we subcontract, the amount of material we supply, changes in labor, equipment or insurance costs, seasonal and abnormal weather patterns, changes in fleet utilization, pricing pressures due to competition, efficiency of work performance, fluctuations in commodity prices of materials, delays in the timing of projects and other factors. The gross margins we record in the current period may not be indicative of margins in future periods.
Overview-Economic, Industry and Market Factors
We operate in competitive markets, which can result in pricing pressures for the services we provide. Work is often awarded through a bidding and selection process, where price is always a principal factor. We generally focus on managing our profitability by: selecting projects that we believe will provide attractive margins; actively monitoring the costs of completing our projects; holding customers accountable for costs related to changes to contract specifications and rewarding our employees for controlling costs.
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The demand for construction and maintenance services from our customers has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to downturns in the markets we serve as well as the economy in general. The financial condition of our customers and their access to capital, variations in the margins of projects performed during any particular period, and regional and national economic conditions in the United States and Canada may materially affect results. Project schedules, particularly in connection with larger, multi-year projects, can also create fluctuations in our revenues. Other market and industry factors, such as changes to our customers’ capital spending plans or delays in regulatory approvals can affect project schedules. Changes in technology, tax and other incentives and new or changing regulatory requirements affecting the industries we serve can impact demand for our services. While we actively monitor economic, industry and market factors affecting our business, we cannot predict the impact such factors may have on our future results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. As a result of economic, industry and market factors, our operating results in any particular period or year may not be indicative of the results that can be expected for any other period or for any other year.
Overview-Seasonality and Nature of Our Work Environment
Although our revenues are primarily driven by spending patterns in our customers’ industries, our revenues and results of operations, particularly those derived from our T&D segment, can be subject to seasonal variations. These variations are influenced by weather, daylight hours, availability of system outages from utilities, and holidays. During the winter months, demand for our T&D work may be high, but our work can be delayed due to inclement weather. During the summer months, the demand for our T&D work may be affected by fewer available system outages, due to peak electrical demands caused by warmer weather, which limits our ability to perform electrical line service work. During the spring and fall months, the demand for our T&D work may increase due to improved weather conditions and system availability; however, extended periods of rain and other severe weather can affect the deployment of our crews and efficiency of operations. Furthermore, our work is performed under a variety of conditions in different locations, including but not limited to, difficult terrain, sites which may have been exposed to harsh and hazardous conditions, and in large urban centers where delivery of materials and availability of labor may be impacted.
We also provide storm restoration services to our T&D customers. These services tend to have a higher profit margin. However, storm restoration service work that is performed under an MSA typically has similar rates to other work under the agreement. In addition, deploying employees on storm restoration work may, at times, delay work on other transmission and distribution work. Storm restoration service work is unpredictable and can affect results of operations.
Outlook
Our business is directly impacted by the level of spending on T&D infrastructure and the level of C&I electrical construction activity across the United States and Canada. We are optimistic about infrastructure spending and believe related investment activity will continue to positively impact both our T&D and C&I markets for the foreseeable future. We believe that regulatory reform, increased electricity demand, state clean energy portfolio standards, the aging of the electric grid, and potential overall improvement of the economy will positively impact the level of spending by our customers in all of the markets we serve. Although competition remains strong, we see these trends as positive factors for us in the future.
We believe legislative actions aimed at supporting infrastructure improvements in the United States may positively impact long-term demand, particularly in connection with electric power infrastructure, transportation and clean energy spending. We believe legislative actions are likely to provide greater long-term opportunity in both of our reporting segments.
We believe there is an ongoing need for utilities to sustain investment in their transmission systems to improve reliability, reduce congestion, connect to new clean energy sources and support future load growth. Consequently, we believe we will continue to see continued bidding activity on large transmission projects going forward. The timing of multi-year transmission project awards and substantial construction activity is difficult to predict due to regulatory requirements and the permitting needed to commence construction. Significant construction on any large, multi-year projects awarded in 2025 will not likely have a large impact on our 2025 results. Bidding and construction activity for small to medium-size transmission projects and upgrades remain active, and we expect this trend to continue.
We believe there is a need for further investment by utilities on their distribution systems to properly maintain or meet reliability requirements. We continue to see strong bidding activity in some of our electric distribution markets. We believe the increased storm activity and destruction caused by wildfires will cause a push to strengthen utility distribution systems against catastrophic damage. Distribution systems may also require upgrades to accommodate additional distributed energy resources and increased electrification. We expect to see an increase in the distribution market opportunities during in 2025.
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We believe the increasing demand for electricity associated with additional power requirements, driven by increased electrification associated with new technologies, including the emergence and adoption of artificial intelligence technologies as well as increased power needs connected to the reshoring of manufacturing, will require significant investment by our customers in both of our reporting segments.
Our C&I bidding opportunities remain strong and we believe we will see continued opportunities in the primary markets we serve such as transportation, data centers, health care, clean energy and warehousing. However, we may experience unanticipated volatility associated with potential policy changes and tariffs.
In addition, the United States has experienced decades of underfunded economic expansion and aging infrastructure that have challenged the capacity of public water and transportation infrastructure forcing states and municipalities to seek creative means to fund needed expansion and repair. We believe the need for expanding public infrastructure in both the United States and Canada will offer opportunity in our C&I segment for several years. Legislation and regulation that promotes domestic manufacturing could also create opportunity for our C&I segment. We expect the long-term growth in our C&I segment to generally track the overall growth of the regions we serve.
We continued to implement strategies that further expand our capabilities and effectively allocate capital. We have maintained a strong balance sheet, while also supporting our organic growth with capital expenditures and working capital and repurchasing our shares. During 2024 and 2023, the Company repurchased 643,549 and 25,042 shares, respectively of its common stock under repurchase programs at a weighted-average price of $116.54 and $114.55 per share, respectively. We believe the borrowing availability under our $490 million revolving credit facility and future cash flow from operations will enable us to support the organic growth of our business, pursue acquisitions and opportunistically repurchase shares.
We continue to manage our increasing operating costs, including increasing insurance, equipment, labor and material costs. We believe that our financial position, positive cash flows and other operational strengths will enable us to respond to challenges and uncertainties in the markets we serve and give us the flexibility to successfully execute our strategy. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I segments and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity. In 2024 and 2023, we invested in capital expenditures of approximately $75.9 million and $84.7 million, respectively. Most of our capital expenditures supported opportunities in our T&D business. We plan to continue to evaluate our needs for additional equipment and tooling.
Understanding Backlog
We define backlog as our estimated revenue on uncompleted contracts, including the amount of revenue on contracts for which work has not begun, less the revenue we have recognized under such contracts. Backlog may not accurately represent the revenues that we expect to realize during any particular period. Several factors, such as the timing of contract awards, the type and duration of contracts, and the mix of subcontractor and material costs in our projects, can impact our backlog at any point in time. Some of our revenue does not appear in our periodic backlog reporting because the award of the project, as well as the execution of the work, can all take place within the period. For many of our unit-price, time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts, we only include projected revenue for a three-month period in the calculation of backlog, although these types of contracts are generally awarded as part of MSAs that typically have a one- to three-year duration from execution. Additionally, the difference between our backlog and remaining performance obligations is due to the exclusion of a portion of our MSAs under certain contract types from our remaining performance obligations as these contracts can be canceled for convenience at any time by us or the customer without considerable cost incurred by the customer. Our backlog includes projects that have a written award, a letter of intent, a notice to proceed or an agreed upon work order to perform work on mutually accepted terms and conditions. Our estimated backlog also includes our proportionate share of our unconsolidated joint venture contracts.
Changes in backlog from period to period are primarily the result of fluctuations in the timing of awards, type of awards and revenue recognition of contracts. Backlog should not be relied upon as a stand-alone indicator of future events.
Understanding Gross Margins
Our gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenues. Gross profit is calculated by subtracting contract costs from revenue. Contract costs consist primarily of salaries, wages and benefits to employees, depreciation, fuel and other equipment expenses, equipment rentals, subcontracted services, insurance, facilities expenses, materials and parts and supplies. Various factors affect our gross margins on a quarterly or annual basis, including those listed below.
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Performance Risk. Margins may fluctuate because of the volume of work and the impacts of pricing and job productivity, which can be impacted both favorably and negatively by customer decisions and crew productivity, as well as other factors. When comparing a service contract between periods, factors affecting the gross margins associated with the revenues generated by the contract may include pricing under the contract, the volume of work performed under the contract, the mix of the type of work specifically being performed, the availability of labor resources at expected labor rates and the productivity of the crews performing the work. Productivity can be influenced by many factors including the experience level of the crew, whether the work is on an open or encumbered right of way, weather conditions, geographical conditions, trade stacking, performance of other sub-trades, schedule changes, effects of environmental restrictions, equipment availability and regulatory and permitting delays.
Revenue Mix and Contract Terms. The mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve will impact gross margins. Changes in our customers’ spending patterns in each of the industries we serve can cause an imbalance in supply and demand and, therefore, affect margins and mix of revenue by industry served. Storm restoration services typically command higher profit margins than other maintenance services. Seasonal and weather factors, as noted below, can impact the timing at which customers perform maintenance and repairs, which can cause a shift in the revenue mix. Some of our time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts include shared savings clauses, in which the contract includes a target price and we agree to share savings from that target price with our customer. Additionally, new construction work has a higher gross margin than maintenance and repair work. New construction work is often obtained on a fixed-price basis, which carries a higher risk than other types of pricing arrangements because a contractor can bear the risk of increased expenses. As such, we generally bid fixed-price contracts with higher profit margins. We typically derive approximately 25% to 45% of our revenue from maintenance and repair work that is performed under pre-established or negotiated prices or cost-plus pricing arrangements which generally allow us a set margin above our costs. Thus, the mix between new construction work, at fixed-price, and maintenance and repair work, at cost-plus, in a given period will impact gross margin in that period. The timing of accounting recognition of such savings can impact our margins. In addition, change orders and claims can impact our margins. Costs related to change orders and claims are recognized in contract costs when incurred, but revenue related to change orders is only recognized when it is probable that the change order will result in an addition to contract value and can be reliably estimated, whereas revenue related to claims is recognized only to the extent that contract costs related to the claim have been incurred and when it is probable that the claim will result in an addition to contract value which can be reliably estimated. Generally, no profit is recognized on a claim until final settlement occurs.
Seasonal, Weather and Geographical. Seasonal and changing patterns, primarily related to weather conditions and the availability of system outages, can have a significant impact on gross margins in a given period. It is typical during the winter months that parts of the country may experience snow or rainfall, which can affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Recent abnormal weather patterns including those related to excessive rainfall and increased thaw and freeze cycles also affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Additionally, our T&D customers often cannot remove their T&D lines from service during the summer months, when consumer demand for electricity is at its peak, delaying maintenance and repair services. In both cases, projects may be delayed or temporarily placed on hold. Conversely, in periods when weather remains dry and temperatures are moderate, more work can be done, sometimes with less cost, which would have a favorable impact on gross margins. The mix of business conducted in different parts of the country could also affect margins, as some parts of the country offer the opportunity for higher margins than others due to the geographic characteristics associated with the location where the work is being performed. Such characteristics include whether the project is performed in an urban versus a rural setting; in a mountainous area or in open terrain; or in normal soil conditions or rocky terrain. Site conditions, including unforeseen underground conditions, can also impact margins.
Depreciation and Amortization. We include depreciation on equipment and finance lease amortization in contract costs. This is common practice in our industry, but can make comparability to other companies difficult. We spend a significant amount of capital on property, facilities and equipment, with the majority of such expenditures being used to purchase additional specialized equipment to enhance our fleet and to reduce our reliance on lease arrangements and short-term equipment rentals. We believe the investment in specialized equipment helps to reduce our costs, improve our margins and provide us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and complex projects.
Material and Subcontract Costs. Projects that include a greater amount of material or subcontractor costs can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material and subcontractor costs in our bids than what we would to our labor and equipment cost. In addition, successful completion of our contracts may depend on whether our subcontractors successfully fulfill their contractual obligations. If our subcontractors fail to satisfactorily perform their contractual obligations as a result of financial or other difficulties, we may be required to incur additional costs and provide additional services in order to make up for such shortfalls. Additionally, we are required to allocate more working capital to projects when we are required to provide materials.
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Insurance. Gross margins could be impacted by fluctuations in insurance accruals related to our deductibles and loss history in the period in which such adjustments are made. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to high deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Losses up to the deductible amounts are accrued based upon estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
Fleet Availability, Cost, Utilization, Estimation, and Bidding. We operate a centrally-managed fleet in the United States in an effort to control rising costs and achieve efficient equipment utilization. We also develop internal equipment rates which provide our business units with appropriate cost information to estimate bids for new projects. Availability of equipment for a particular contract is determined by our internal fleet ordering process which is designed to optimize the use of internal fleet assets and allocate equipment costs to individual contracts. We believe these processes allow us to utilize our equipment efficiently, which leads to improved gross margins. Transmission and distribution projects can require different types of equipment. A significant shift in project mix or timing could impact fleet utilization, causing gross margins to vary.
Cost of Material. On fixed-price contracts where we are required to provide materials, our overall gross margin may be affected if we experience increases in the quantity or costs of materials. Projects that include a greater amount of material cost can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material cost in our bids than what we would add to our labor and equipment cost.
Our team of trained estimators helps us to determine potential costs and revenues and make informed decisions on whether to bid for a project and, if bid, the rates to use in estimating the costs for that bid. The ability to accurately estimate labor, equipment, subcontracting and material costs in connection with a new project may affect the gross margins achieved for the project.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) consist primarily of compensation, related benefits and employee costs for management and administrative personnel, office rent and utilities, stock compensation, communications, professional fees, depreciation, IT expenses, marketing costs and bad debt expense.
Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table sets forth selected statements of operations data and such data as a percentage of revenues for the years indicated:
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023
| For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (dollars in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Contract revenues | $ | 3,362,290 | 100.0 | % | $ | 3,643,905 | 100.0 | % | ||||||
| Contract costs | 3,071,971 | 91.4 | 3,279,508 | 90.0 | ||||||||||
| Gross profit | 290,319 | 8.6 | 364,397 | 10.0 | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 238,222 | 7.1 | 234,611 | 6.5 | ||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 4,869 | 0.1 | 4,907 | 0.1 | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale of property and equipment | (6,854) | (0.2) | (4,214) | (0.1) | ||||||||||
| Income from operations | 54,082 | 1.6 | 129,093 | 3.5 | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||
| Interest income | 415 | — | 888 | — | ||||||||||
| Interest expense | (6,525) | (0.2) | (4,939) | (0.1) | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense), net | (1,479) | — | (38) | — | ||||||||||
| Income before provision for income taxes | 46,493 | 1.4 | 125,004 | 3.4 | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 16,230 | 0.5 | 34,014 | 0.9 | ||||||||||
| Net income | 30,263 | 0.9 | 90,990 | 2.5 |
Revenues decreased $281.6 million, or 7.7%, to $3.36 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $3.64 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease of $241.1 million in revenue on transmission projects, a decrease of $72.9 million in C&I revenue, partially offset by an increase of $32.4 million in revenue on distribution projects.
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Gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased to 8.6% compared to 10.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in gross margin was primarily impacted by significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net gross margin decrease of 4.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a net decrease of 1.7% for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, significant estimate changes negatively impacted gross margin by 5.4% and primarily related to clean energy projects in T&D that have reached mechanical completion, the unfavorable impact of a C&I project that has reached substantial completion, labor and project inefficiencies, an increase in costs associated with schedule compression on certain projects, an unfavorable change order and an unfavorable job closeout. In addition, significant estimate changes in gross profit positively impacted gross margin by 1.0% and mainly related to better-than-anticipated productivity, favorable change orders and favorable job closeouts. Gross margin also benefited by approximately 0.2% from favorable joint venture results during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Gross profit decreased $74.1 million, or 20.3%, to $290.3 million for year ended December 31, 2024 from $364.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, due to lower margins and lower revenues.
SG&A was $238.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $3.6 million from $234.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to an increase in employee-related expenses to support future growth in our operations and an increase of $1.1 million related to contingent compensation expense related to a prior acquisition, partially offset by a decrease in employee incentive compensation costs.
Gains from the sale of property and equipment in the year ended December 31, 2024 were $6.9 million compared to $4.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2023. Gains from the sale of property and equipment are attributable to routine sales of property and equipment that are no longer useful or valuable to our ongoing operations.
Interest expense was $6.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $4.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was primarily attributable to higher average debt balances partially offset by lower interest rates during the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.
Other expense was $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to an insignificant amount of other expense for the year ended December 31, 2023. The change was largely due to foreign currency losses from changes in exchange rates on intercompany receivables.
Income tax expense was $16.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, with an effective tax rate of 34.9%, compared to $34.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, with an effective tax rate of 27.2%. The increase in the tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to higher other permanent difference items and the unrecognized benefit of deferred tax assets, offset by lower stock compensation excess tax benefits. The increase in permanent difference items primarily related to deductibility limits of contingent compensation, associated with a prior acquisition.
Net income decreased to $30.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $91.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily for the reasons stated above.
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Segment Results
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, statements of operations data by segment, segment net sales as a percentage of total net sales and segment operating income as a percentage of segment net sales:
| For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | Amount | Percent | Amount | Percent | ||||||||||
| Contract revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 1,880,501 | 55.9 | % | $ | 2,089,196 | 57.3 | % | ||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 1,481,789 | 44.1 | 1,554,709 | 42.7 | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 3,362,290 | 100.0 | $ | 3,643,905 | 100.0 | ||||||||
| Operating income: | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 69,374 | 3.7 | $ | 149,703 | 7.2 | ||||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 48,041 | 3.2 | 45,889 | 3.0 | ||||||||||
| Total | 117,415 | 3.5 | 195,592 | 5.3 | ||||||||||
| Corporate | (63,333) | (1.9) | (66,499) | (1.8) | ||||||||||
| Consolidated | $ | 54,082 | 1.6 | % | $ | 129,093 | 3.5 | % |
Transmission & Distribution
Revenues for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1.88 billion compared to $2.09 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $208.7 million, or 10.0%. The decrease in revenue was related to a decrease of $241.1 million in revenue on transmission projects, primarily related to the mechanical completion of certain clean energy projects, partially offset by an increase of $32.4 million in revenue on distribution projects. Revenues from transmission projects represented 60.6% and 66.1%, of T&D segment revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Operating income for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $69.4 million compared to $149.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $80.3 million, or 53.7%. As a percentage of revenues operating income for our T&D segment was 3.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 7.2% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Operating income margin was impacted by significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net operating income margin decrease of 5.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a net decrease of 1.5% for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, significant estimated gross profit changes negatively impacted operating income as a percentage of revenues by 5.7% with 5.5% of the impact related to losses on certain clean energy projects that have reached mechanical completion. Losses on these projects were primarily related to contractual disputes, labor and project inefficiencies, higher labor and contract related costs and unfavorable weather conditions. Significant estimated gross profit changes were also negatively impacted by an unfavorable job closeout and labor and project inefficiencies. These decreases were partially offset by positive significant estimated gross profit changes totaling 0.2% of revenues mostly related to better-than-anticipated productivity.
Commercial & Industrial
Revenues for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1.48 billion compared to $1.55 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $72.9 million, or 4.7%, primarily due to the delayed start of certain projects in 2024. The decrease in revenue included a decrease of $72.1 million in revenue on fixed priced contracts and a decrease of $12.1 million in revenues on unit price work, partially offset by an increase of $11.2 million on T&E contracts.
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Operating income for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $48.0 million compared to $45.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $2.1 million, or 4.7%. Operating income, as a percentage of revenues, for our C&I segment increased to 3.2% for the year ended December 31, 2024 from 3.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Operating income margin was positively impacted during the year ended December 31, 2024, by the continued benefit of higher margins on certain completed projects and certain projects nearing completion, these benefits largely related to better-than-anticipated productivity and favorable change orders. The year-over-year increase in operating income margin was positively impacted by approximately 0.4% due to favorable joint venture results. Operating income margin was also impacted by significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net operating income margin decrease of 2.9% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a net decrease of 2.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Significant estimated gross profit changes negatively impacted operating income as a percentage of revenues by 5.0% with 2.3% of the impact from a single project that is substantially complete. The loss from this project was primarily due to scope additions, increased labor costs related to schedule compression and lower productivity due to access and workflow issues. Significant estimated gross profit changes were also negatively impacted by an increase in costs associated with labor and project inefficiencies, schedule compression on certain projects and an unfavorable change order. These decreases were partially offset by positive significant estimated gross profit changes totaling 2.1% of revenues largely related to better-than-anticipated productivity, some of which related to clean energy projects, favorable change orders and favorable job closeouts.
Corporate
The decrease in corporate expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributable to a decrease in employee incentive compensation costs, partially offset by an increase in employee-related expenses to support future growth in our operations.
Non-GAAP Measures
EBITDA
EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure used by management that we define as net income plus net income from noncontrolling interests, interest expense net of interest income, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization, as shown in the following table. EBITDA does not purport to be an alternative to net income as a measure of operating performance or to net cash flows provided by operating activities as a measure of liquidity. We believe that EBITDA is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance and cash flow because EBITDA is widely used by investors to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods, book value of assets, useful lives placed on assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired. Because not all companies define EBITDA as we do, this presentation of EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies. We use, and we believe investors benefit from, the presentation of EBITDA in evaluating our operating performance because it provides us and our investors with an additional tool to compare our operating performance on a consistent basis by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect our core operations.
Using EBITDA as a performance measure has material limitations as compared to net income, or other financial measures as defined under GAAP, as it excludes certain recurring items, which may be meaningful to investors. EBITDA excludes interest expense net of interest income; however, as we have borrowed money to finance transactions and operations, or invested available cash to generate interest income, interest expense and interest income are elements of our cost structure and can affect our ability to generate revenue and returns for our shareholders. Further, EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization; however, as we use capital and intangible assets to generate revenues, depreciation and amortization are necessary elements of our costs and ability to generate revenue. Finally, EBITDA excludes income taxes; however, as we are organized as a corporation, the payment of taxes is a necessary element of our operations. As a result of these exclusions from EBITDA, any measure that excludes interest expense net of interest income, depreciation and amortization and income taxes has material limitations as compared to net income. When using EBITDA as a performance measure, management compensates for these limitations by comparing EBITDA to net income in each period, to allow for the comparison of the performance of the underlying core operations with the overall performance of the company on a full-cost, after-tax basis. Using both EBITDA and net income to evaluate the business allows management and investors to (a) assess our relative performance against our competitors and (b) monitor our capacity to generate returns for our shareholders.
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The following table provides a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | 30,263 | $ | 90,990 | $ | 83,381 | |||||
| Add: | |||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 6,110 | 4,051 | 3,376 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 16,230 | 34,014 | 30,823 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 65,189 | 59,138 | 58,170 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 117,792 | $ | 188,193 | $ | 175,750 |
We also use EBITDA as a liquidity measure. Certain material covenants contained within our credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) are based on EBITDA with certain additional adjustments as defined in the Credit Agreement. Non-compliance with these financial covenants under the Credit Agreement — our interest coverage ratio which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and our net leverage ratio, which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Total Net Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement), divided by Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) — could result in our lenders requiring us to immediately repay all amounts borrowed on our revolving credit facility. If we anticipated a potential covenant violation, we would seek relief from our lenders, likely causing us to incur additional cost, and such relief might not be available, or if available, might not be on terms as favorable as those in the Credit Agreement. In addition, if we cannot satisfy these financial covenants, we would be prohibited under the Credit Agreement from engaging in certain activities, such as incurring additional indebtedness, making certain payments, and acquiring or disposing of assets. Based on the information above, management believes that the presentation of EBITDA as a liquidity measure is useful to investors and relevant to their assessment of our capacity to service or incur debt, fund capital expenditures, finance acquisitions and expand our operations.
The following table provides a reconciliation of net cash flows provided by operating activities to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Net cash flows provided by operating activities | $ | 87,115 | $ | 71,016 | $ | 167,484 | |||||
| Add/(subtract) | |||||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities | 11,074 | 85,426 | (8,522) | ||||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities | (67,926) | (65,452) | (75,581) | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 65,189 | 59,138 | 58,170 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 16,230 | 34,014 | 30,823 | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 6,110 | 4,051 | 3,376 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 117,792 | $ | 188,193 | $ | 175,750 |
Working Capital
Working capital is a non-GAAP measure. We believe working capital is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance. The Company defines working capital as total current assets less total current liabilities. The following table provides the Company’s calculation of working capital:
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Total current assets | $ | 1,014,662 | $ | 1,026,244 | $ | 890,291 | |||||
| Less: total current liabilities | (748,900) | (747,202) | (666,960) | ||||||||
| Working capital | $ | 265,762 | $ | 279,042 | $ | 223,331 |
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Liquidity, Capital Resources and Material Cash Requirements
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had working capital of $265.8 million and $279.0 million, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2024, our operating activities provided cash of $87.1 million, compared to $71.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Cash flow from operations is primarily influenced by operating margins, timing of contract performance and the type of services we provide to our customers. The $16.1 million year-over-year increase in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to favorable net changes in operating assets and liabilities of $74.4 million, offset by a $60.7 million decrease in net income. The favorable change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to the net favorable year-over-year changes in various working capital accounts that relate primarily to construction activities (accounts receivable, contract assets, accounts payable and contract liabilities) of $119.3 million, partially offset by the unfavorable change of $50.9 million in other liabilities. The net favorable changes of $119.3 million in cash provided by working capital accounts, mainly related to construction activities, was due to the timing of billings and payments under our contracts. The unfavorable change of $50.9 million in other liabilities was primarily due to the timing of contingent compensation payments associated with a prior acquisition, the timing of employee related wage and tax payments and lower employee incentive compensation accruals.
During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we used net cash of $67.2 million and $79.1 million, respectively, in investing activities. The $67.2 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2024 consisted of $75.9 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $8.7 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment. The $79.1 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted of $84.7 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $5.6 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment.
During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we used cash of $40.0 million, and $18.4 million, respectively in financing activities. The $40.0 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2024 consisted primarily of $75.0 million of share repurchases under our share repurchase program, $7.1 million of payments under our equipment notes, $5.9 million of shares repurchased to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs and $1.2 million of repayments of finance lease obligations, partially offset by $45.2 million of net borrowings under our revolving line of credit. The $18.4 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted primarily of $7.9 million of shares repurchased to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs, $4.6 million of net repayments under our master equipment loan agreements, $2.9 million of shares repurchases under our share repurchase program and $1.1 million of repayments of finance lease obligations.
We believe our $354.8 million borrowing availability under our revolving line of credit as of December 31, 2024, future cash flow from operations and our ability to utilize short-term and long-term leases will provide sufficient liquidity for our short-term and long-term needs. Our primary short-term liquidity needs include cash for operations, debt service requirements, capital expenditures, and acquisition and joint venture opportunities. We believe we have adequate sources of liquidity to meet our long-term liquidity needs and foreseeable material cash requirements, including those associated with funding future acquisition opportunities. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I segments and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity.
We have not historically paid dividends and currently do not expect to pay dividends.
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Debt Instruments
Credit Agreement
On May 31, 2023, the Company entered into a five-year third amended and restated credit agreement with a maturity date of May 31, 2028, (the “Credit Agreement”) through a syndicate of banks led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A, that provides for a $490 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”), subject to certain financial covenants as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Facility allows for revolving loans in Canadian dollars and other non-US currencies, up to the U.S. dollars equivalent of $150 million. Up to $75 million of the Facility may be used for letters of credit, with an additional $75 million available for letters of credit, subject to the sole discretion of each issuing bank. The Facility also allows for $15 million to be used for swingline loans. The Company has an expansion option to increase the commitments under the Facility or enter into incremental term loans, subject to certain conditions, by up to an additional $200 million upon receipt of additional commitments from new or existing lenders. Subject to certain exceptions, the Facility is secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its domestic subsidiaries, and by a pledge of substantially all of the capital stock of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries and 65% of the capital stock of the direct foreign subsidiaries of the Company. Additionally, subject to certain exceptions, the Company’s domestic subsidiaries also guarantee the repayment of all amounts due under the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement provides for customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Credit Agreement, amounts outstanding under the Facility may be accelerated and may become or be declared immediately due and payable. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement are used to refinance existing indebtedness, and to provide for future working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes.
Amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s option, at a rate equal to either (1) the Alternate Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.25% to 1.00%; or (2) the Term Benchmark Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.25% to 2.00%. The applicable margin is determined based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement). Letters of credit issued under the Facility are subject to a letter of credit fee of 1.25% to 2.00% for non-performance letters of credit or 0.625% to 1.00% for performance letters of credit, based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio. The Company is subject to a commitment fee of 0.20% to 0.30%, based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio, on any unused portion of the Facility. The Credit Agreement restricts certain types of payments when the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio, after giving pro forma effect thereto, exceeds 2.75.
Under the Credit Agreement, the Company is subject to certain financial covenants including a maximum Net Leverage Ratio of 3.0 and a minimum Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of 3.0. The Credit Agreement also contains covenants including limitations on asset sales, investments, indebtedness and liens. The Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2024.
We had $58.4 million and $13.2 million of borrowings outstanding under the Facility as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
Letters of Credit
Some of our vendors require letters of credit to ensure reimbursement for amounts they are disbursing on our behalf, such as to beneficiaries under our insurance programs. In addition, from time to time, certain customers or our sureties require us to post letters of credit to ensure payment to our subcontractors and vendors and guarantee performance under our contracts. Such letters of credit are generally issued by a bank typically pursuant to our senior credit facility. Each letter of credit commits the issuer to pay specified amounts to the holder of the letter of credit if the holder claims that we have failed to perform specified actions. If this were to occur, we would be required to reimburse the issuer of the letter of credit. Depending on the circumstances of such a reimbursement, we may also have to record a charge to earnings for the reimbursement.
As of December 31, 2024, we had $37.3 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement, including $32.6 million related to the Company's payment obligations under its insurance programs and $4.7 million related to contract performance obligations. As of December 31, 2023, we had $34.4 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement including $27.1 million related to the Company's payment obligations under its insurance programs and $7.3 million related to contract performance obligations. We are not aware of any claims currently asserted or threatened under any of these letters of credit that are material, individually, or in the aggregate. However, to the extent payment is required for any such claims, the amount paid could be material and could adversely affect cash flows.
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Equipment Notes
We have entered into multiple Master Loan and Security Agreements (the "Master Loan Agreements") with multiple finance companies. The Master Loan Agreements may be used for financing of equipment between us and the lenders pursuant to one or more equipment notes (“Equipment Notes”). Each Equipment Note constitutes a separate, distinct and independent financing of equipment and contractual obligation.
As of December 31, 2024, we had one outstanding Equipment Note collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. As of December 31, 2023, we had two outstanding Equipment Notes collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we also had one other equipment note outstanding collateralized by a vehicle owned by us. The outstanding balance of all equipment notes was $16.0 million as of December 31, 2024, of which $4.4 million was due in the next twelve months. The outstanding balance of these equipment notes was $23.0 million as of December 31, 2023, of which $7.1 million was due in the next twelve months.
Lease Obligations
From time to time, the Company enters into non-cancelable leases for some of our facility, vehicle and equipment needs. These leases allow the Company to conserve cash by paying a monthly lease rental fee for the use of facilities, vehicles and equipment rather than purchasing them. The Company’s leases have remaining terms ranging from less than one to nine years, some of which may include options to extend the leases for up to ten years, and some of which may include options to terminate the leases within one year. Typically, the Company has purchase options on the equipment underlying its long-term leases and many of its short-term rental arrangements. The Company may exercise some of these purchase options when the need for equipment is ongoing and the purchase option price is attractive.
The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $42.6 million as of December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $12.1 million and $30.5 million, respectively. The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $35.0 million as of December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $9.2 million and $25.8 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2024, we had $3.0 million outstanding finance lease obligations, consisting of short-term and long-term finance lease obligations of approximately $1.1 million and $1.9 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had $2.3 million outstanding finance lease obligations, consisting of short-term and long-term finance lease obligations of approximately $2.0 million and $0.3 million, respectively.
Purchase Commitments for Construction Equipment
As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $4.9 million in outstanding purchase obligations for certain construction equipment to be paid with cash outlays scheduled to occur in 2025.
Performance and Payment Bonds and Parent Guarantees
Many customers, particularly in connection with new construction, require us to post performance and payment bonds typically issued by a surety or insurance company. These bonds provide a guarantee to the customer that we will perform under the terms of a contract and that we will pay subcontractors and vendors. If we fail to perform under a contract or to pay subcontractors and vendors, the customer may demand that the surety make payments or provide services under the bond. We must reimburse the respective issuers of the bonds for any claim expenses or outlays they incur. Under our continuing indemnity and security agreements with the issuers of the bonds, we may be required to grant them a security interest relating to a particular project. We believe that it is unlikely that we will have to fund significant claims under our surety arrangements. As of December 31, 2024, an aggregate of approximately $2.27 billion in original face amount of bonds issued by our sureties were outstanding. Our estimated remaining cost to complete these bonded projects was approximately $662.6 million as of December 31, 2024.
From time to time we guarantee the obligations of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, including obligations under certain contracts with customers, certain lease agreements, and, in some states, obligations in connection with obtaining contractors’ licenses. Additionally, from time to time we are required to post letters of credit to guarantee the obligations of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, which reduces the borrowing availability under our credit facility.
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Concentration of Credit Risk
We grant trade credit under contractual payment terms, generally without collateral, to our customers, which include high credit quality electric utilities, governmental entities, general contractors and builders, owners and managers of commercial and industrial properties located in the United States and Canada. Consequently, we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and economic factors throughout the United States and Canada. However, we generally have certain statutory lien rights with respect to services provided. Under certain circumstances such as foreclosures or negotiated settlements, we may take title to the underlying assets in lieu of cash in settlement of receivables. As of December 31, 2024, one customer individually exceeded 10.0% of our accounts receivable with approximately of 11.3% of the total accounts receivable amount (excluding the impact of allowance for doubtful accounts). As of December 31, 2023, none of our customers individually exceeded 10.0% of our accounts receivable.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1 — Organization, Business and Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to our Financial Statements.
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities known to exist at the date of the Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates. We believe the following accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Financial Statements:
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer-controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we estimate profit by determining the difference between total estimated revenue and total estimated cost of a contract. In addition, we estimate a cost accrual every quarter that represents unbilled invoicing activity for services performed by subcontractors and suppliers during the quarter, and estimate revenue from the contract cost portion of this accrual based on current gross margin rates to be consistent with our cost method of revenue recognition. The estimated value of unbilled amounts are determined using a regression analysis that estimates value based on our historical experience, and is adjusted for large individual projects. The profit and corresponding revenue is recognized over the contract term based on costs incurred under the cost-to-cost method. We utilized the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. For purposes of recognizing revenue, we follow the five-step approach outlined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606.
As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Because our billings are based on contract terms and do not coincide with our progress in a project, revenue recognition also includes an amount related to our contract asset or contract liability. If the recognized revenue is greater than the amount billed to the customer, a contract asset is recorded. Additionally, the contract asset includes retainage billed to the customer that cannot be collected until the contract work has been completed and approved. Conversely, if the amount billed to the customer is greater than the recognized revenue, a contract liability is recorded. Additionally, the contract liability includes a liability for the excess of costs over revenues for all contracts that are in a loss position.
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Contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition. Additionally, we estimate costs to complete on fixed price contracts which are determined on an individual contract basis by evaluating each project’s status as of the balance sheet date, and using our historical experience with the level of effort required to complete the underlying project. Claims and change orders are also measured based on our historical experience with individual customers and similar contracts, and are evaluated by management individually. A change order is a modification to a contract that changes the provisions of the contract, typically resulting from changes in scope, specifications, design, manner of performance, facilities, equipment, materials, sites, or period of completion of the work under the contract. A claim is an amount in excess of the agreed-upon contract price that we seek to collect from our clients or others for client-caused delays, errors in specifications and designs, contract terminations, change orders that are either in dispute or are unapproved as to both scope and price, or other causes. We include these estimated amounts of variable consideration to the extent that it is probable there will not be a significant reversal of revenue. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we recognized revenues of $46.0 million and $76.5 million, respectively, related to significant change orders and/or claims that had been included as contract price adjustments on certain contracts, some of which are multi-year projects.
Some of our contracts may have contract terms that include variable consideration such as safety or performance bonuses or liquidated damages. In accordance with ASC 606, we estimate the variable consideration using one of two methods. In contracts in which there is a binary outcome, the most likely amount method is used. In instances in which there is a range of possible outcomes, the expected value method is used. In accordance with ASC 606, we include the estimated amount of variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative recognized revenue will not occur when the final outcome of the variable consideration is determined. In contracts in which a significant reversal may occur, we use constraint in recognizing revenue on variable consideration. We often enter into contracts that contain liquidated damage clauses. We do not include amounts associated with liquidated damage clauses until it is probable that liquidated damages will occur. These items are continually monitored by multiple levels of management throughout the reporting period.
A portion of the work we perform requires financial assurances in the form of performance and payment bonds or letters of credit at the time of execution of the contract. Many of our contracts include retention provisions of up to 10%, which are generally withheld from each progress payment as retainage until the contract work has been completed and approved.
The accuracy of our revenue and profit recognition in a given period is dependent on the accuracy of our estimates of the cost to complete each project. Cost estimates for all of our significant projects use a detailed “bottoms up” approach and we believe our experience typically allows us to provide materially reliable estimates. There are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in estimates of contract cost and profitability. The most significant of these include, among others:
•the completeness and accuracy of the original bid;
•costs associated with scope changes, change orders or claims;
•costs of labor and/or materials;
•extended overhead due to owner, weather and other delays;
•subcontractor performance issues;
•changes in productivity expectations;
•site conditions that differ from those assumed in the original bid (to the extent contract remedies are unavailable);
•the availability and skill level of workers in the geographic location of the project; and
•a change in the availability and proximity of equipment and materials.
The foregoing factors as well as the stage of completion of contracts in process and the mix of contracts at different margins may cause fluctuations in gross profit between periods. During the year ended December 31, 2024, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 4.4%. During the year ended December 31, 2023, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 1.7%. During the year ended December 31, 2022, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 0.4%.
We provide warranties to customers on a basis customary to the industry; however, the warranty period does not typically exceed one year. Historically, warranty claims have not been material.
Total revenues do not include sales tax as we consider ourselves a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales taxes. Sales tax and value added tax collected from customers is included in other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
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Insurance. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to certain deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Our deductible for each line of coverage is up to $1.0 million. Certain health benefit plans are subject to stop-loss limits of up to $0.2 million, for qualified individuals. Losses up to the deductible and stop-loss amounts are accrued based upon our estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
The insurance and claims accruals are based on known facts, actuarial estimates and historical trends. While recorded accruals are based on the ultimate liability, which includes amounts in excess of the deductible, a corresponding receivable for amounts in excess of the deductible is included in current assets on our consolidated balance sheets.
Stock-Based Compensation. We determine compensation expense for stock-based awards based on the estimated fair values at the grant date and recognize the related compensation expense ratably over the vesting period. We use the straight-line amortization method to recognize compensation expense related to stock-based awards, such as restricted stock units, that have only service conditions. This method recognizes stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards that vest based on internal performance metrics and service conditions on a straight-line basis over the service period, but adjust inception-to-date expense based upon our determination of the expected achievement of the performance target at each reporting date which may vary from zero to 200% of the target performance awards. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards with market-based performance metrics on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. We recognize forfeitures as they occur. Shares issued under the Company’s stock-based compensation program are taken out of authorized but unissued shares.
Goodwill and Intangibles. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. We perform either a qualitative or quantitative assessment to review goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment on an annual basis. This assessment is performed at the beginning of the fourth quarter, or when circumstances change, such as a significant adverse change in the business climate or the decision to sell a business, both of which would indicate that impairment may have occurred. Intangible assets with finite lives are also reviewed for impairment and tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
A qualitative assessment considers financial, industry, segment and macroeconomic factors, if the qualitative assessment indicates a potential for impairment, a quantitative assessment is performed to determine if impairment exists. The quantitative assessment begins with a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit or intangible asset with its carrying value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit or intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss would be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit or intangible asset. If the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite lived assets exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment charge would be recorded in the statement of operations.
As a result of the annual qualitative review process in 2023 and 2022, we determined it was not necessary to perform a quantitative assessment. In 2024, we performed a quantitative assessment on our goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives; this assessment did not indicate that our goodwill or indefinite lived intangible assets were impaired.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We do not generally charge interest to our customers, and we carry our customer receivables at their face amounts, less an allowance for doubtful accounts. Based on our experience in recent years, the majority of customer balances at each balance sheet date are collected within twelve months. As is common practice in the industry, we classify all accounts receivable as current assets. The allowance for doubtful accounts associated with account receivables was $1.1 million as of December 31, 2024 and $2.0 million as of December 31, 2023.
We grant trade credit, on a non-collateralized basis (with the exception of lien rights against the property in certain cases) to our customers, and we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and overall economic activity. We analyze specific accounts receivable balances, historical bad debts, customer credit-worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In the event that a customer balance is deemed to be uncollectible the account balance is written-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts.
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FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000700923-24-000008.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This management’s discussion and analysis provides a narrative on the Company’s financial performance and condition that should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this report, including the Financial Statements and related notes contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.” We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Presentation of Information
The discussion that follows includes a comparison of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. For a discussion of changes from the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 (filed February 22, 2023).
Overview-Introduction
We are a holding company of specialty electrical construction service providers that was established in 1995 through the merger of long-standing specialty contractors. Through our subsidiaries, we serve the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets. We manage and report our operations through two electrical contracting service segments: Transmission and Distribution (“T&D”) and Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”).
We have operated in the transmission and distribution industry since 1891. We are one of the largest U.S. contractors servicing the T&D sector of the electric utility industry and provide T&D services throughout the United States and in Ontario, Canada. Our T&D customers include many of the leading companies in the electric utility industry. We have provided electrical contracting services for commercial and industrial construction since 1912. Our C&I segment provides services in the United States and in western Canada. Our C&I customers include facility owners and general contractors. We strive to maintain our status as a preferred provider to our T&D and C&I customers.
We believe that we have a number of competitive advantages in both of our segments, including our skilled workforce, extensive centralized fleet, proven safety performance and reputation for timely completion of quality work that allows us to compete favorably in our markets. In addition, we believe that we are better capitalized than some of our competitors, which provides us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and more complex projects.
We had revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 of $3.64 billion compared to $3.01 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2023, net income was $91.0 million compared to $83.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Overview-Segments
Transmission and Distribution segment. Our T&D segment provides comprehensive solutions to providers in the electric utility industry. Our T&D segment generally serves the electric utility industry as a prime contractor to customers such as investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, private developers, government-funded utilities, independent power producers, independent transmission companies, industrial facility owners and other contractors. We have long-standing relationships with many of our T&D customers who rely on us to construct and maintain reliable electric and other utility infrastructure. Our T&D segment provides a broad range of services on electric transmission and distribution networks, substation facilities, clean energy projects and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which include design, engineering, procurement, construction, upgrade and maintenance and repair services. Our T&D services include the construction and maintenance of high voltage transmission lines, substations and lower voltage underground and overhead distribution systems, clean energy projects and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We also provide many services to our customers under multi-year master service agreements (“MSAs”) and other variable-term service agreements.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, our T&D revenues were $2.09 billion, or 57.3%, of our revenue, compared to $1.75 billion, or 58.0%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 and $1.30 billion, or 52.1%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021. Revenues from transmission projects represented 66.1%, 62.1%, and 62.0% of T&D segment revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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Our T&D segment also provides restoration services in response to hurricanes, ice storms or other storm related events, which accounted for less than 5% of our annual revenues in 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Measured by revenues in our T&D segment, we provided 52.7%, 47.8% and 43.0% of our T&D services under fixed-price contracts during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Commercial and Industrial segment. Our C&I segment provides a wide range of services including design, installation, maintenance and repair of commercial and industrial wiring, the installation of intelligent transportation systems, roadway lighting, signalization and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In our C&I segment, we generally provide our electric construction and maintenance services as a subcontractor to general contractors in the C&I industry as well as directly to facility owners. We have a diverse customer base with many long-standing relationships. We concentrate our efforts on projects where our technical and project management expertise are critical to successful and timely execution. The majority of C&I contracts cover electrical contracting services for airports, hospitals, data centers, hotels, stadiums, commercial and industrial facilities, clean energy projects, manufacturing plants, processing facilities, water/waste-water treatment facilities, mining facilities, intelligent transportation systems, roadway lighting, signalization and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, our C&I revenues were $1.55 billion, or 42.7%, of our revenue, compared to $1.26 billion, or 42.0%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 and $1.20 billion, or 47.9%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Measured by revenues in our C&I segment, we provided 82.0%, 83.3% and 80.5% of our services under fixed-price contracts for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Overview-Revenue and Gross Margins
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we utilize the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Additionally, contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition.
Gross Margins. Our gross margin can vary between periods as a result of many factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include: the mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve, the size and duration of our projects, the mix of business conducted in different parts of the United States and Canada, the mix of our contract types, the mix of service and maintenance work compared to new construction work, the amount of work that we subcontract, the amount of material we supply, changes in labor, equipment or insurance costs, seasonal and abnormal weather patterns, changes in fleet utilization, pricing pressures due to competition, efficiency of work performance, fluctuations in commodity prices of materials, delays in the timing of projects and other factors. The gross margins we record in the current period may not be indicative of margins in future periods.
Overview-Economic, Industry and Market Factors
We operate in competitive markets, which can result in pricing pressures for the services we provide. Work is often awarded through a bidding and selection process, where price is always a principal factor. We generally focus on managing our profitability by: selecting projects that we believe will provide attractive margins; actively monitoring the costs of completing our projects; holding customers accountable for costs related to changes to contract specifications and rewarding our employees for controlling costs.
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The demand for construction and maintenance services from our customers has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to downturns in the markets we serve as well as the economy in general. The financial condition of our customers and their access to capital, variations in the margins of projects performed during any particular period, and regional and national economic conditions in the United States and Canada may materially affect results. Project schedules, particularly in connection with larger, multi-year projects, can also create fluctuations in our revenues. Other market and industry factors, such as changes to our customers’ capital spending plans or delays in regulatory approvals can affect project schedules. Changes in technology, tax and other incentives and new or changing regulatory requirements affecting the industries we serve can impact demand for our services. While we actively monitor economic, industry and market factors affecting our business, we cannot predict the impact such factors may have on our future results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. As a result of economic, industry and market factors, our operating results in any particular period or year may not be indicative of the results that can be expected for any other period or for any other year.
Overview-Seasonality and Nature of Our Work Environment
Although our revenues are primarily driven by spending patterns in our customers’ industries, our revenues and results of operations, particularly those derived from our T&D segment, can be subject to seasonal variations. These variations are influenced by weather, daylight hours, availability of system outages from utilities, and holidays. During the winter months, demand for our T&D work may be high, but our work can be delayed due to inclement weather. During the summer months, the demand for our T&D work may be affected by fewer available system outages, due to peak electrical demands caused by warmer weather, which limits our ability to perform electrical line service work. During the spring and fall months, the demand for our T&D work may increase due to improved weather conditions and system availability; however, extended periods of rain and other severe weather can affect the deployment of our crews and efficiency of operations. Furthermore, our work is performed under a variety of conditions in different locations, including but not limited to, difficult terrain, sites which may have been exposed to harsh and hazardous conditions, and in large urban centers where delivery of materials and availability of labor may be impacted.
We also provide storm restoration services to our T&D customers. These services tend to have a higher profit margin. However, storm restoration service work that is performed under an MSA typically has similar rates to other work under the agreement. In addition, deploying employees on storm restoration work may, at times, delay work on other transmission and distribution work. Storm restoration service work is unpredictable and can affect results of operations.
Outlook
Our business is directly impacted by the level of spending on T&D infrastructure and the level of C&I electrical construction activity across the United States and Canada. We are optimistic about infrastructure spending and believe related investment activity will continue to positively impact both our T&D and C&I markets for the foreseeable future. We believe that regulatory reform, state clean energy portfolio standards, the aging of the electric grid, and potential overall improvement of the economy will positively impact the level of spending by our customers in all of the markets we serve. Although competition remains strong, we see these trends as positive factors for us in the future.
We believe legislative actions aimed at supporting infrastructure improvements in the United States may positively impact long-term demand, particularly in connection with electric power infrastructure, transportation and clean energy spending. We believe legislative actions are likely to provide greater long-term opportunity in both of our reporting segments. However, we expect our financial results, in both of our segments, to continue to be affected by delays and cost volatility through 2024, due to supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures, tariffs and regulatory slowdowns. These factors will cause us to carry impacted projects at lower margins until their completion and may result in decelerations in project opportunities and awards.
We believe there is an ongoing need for utilities to sustain investment in their transmission systems to improve reliability, reduce congestion and connect to new clean energy sources. Consequently, we believe we will continue to see significant bidding activity on large transmission projects going forward. The timing of multi-year transmission project awards and substantial construction activity is difficult to predict due to regulatory requirements and the permitting needed to commence construction. Significant construction on any large, multi-year projects awarded in 2024 will not likely have a large impact on our 2024 results. Bidding and construction activity for small to medium-size transmission projects and upgrades remain active, and we expect this trend to continue.
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As a result of reduced spending by United States utilities on their distribution systems for many years, we believe there is a need for sustained investment by utilities on their distribution systems to properly maintain or meet reliability requirements. In 2023, we continued to see increased bidding activity in some of our electric distribution markets, as economic conditions improved in those areas. We believe the increased storm activity and destruction caused by wildfires will cause a push to strengthen utility distribution systems against catastrophic damage. Distribution systems may also require upgrades to accommodate additional distributed energy resources and increased electrification. Several industry and market trends are also prompting customers in the electric utility industry to seek outsourcing partners rather than performing projects internally. These trends include an aging electric utility workforce, increasing costs and staffing constraints. We believe electric utility employee retirements could increase with further economic recovery, which may result in an increase in outsourcing opportunities.
Our C&I bidding opportunities could be impacted by market disruptions, and as a result, the growth of our C&I market will be heavily dependent on the timing and pace of the overall market recovery. We believe that the primary markets we serve, such as health care, transportation, data centers, warehousing, clean energy and water/waste-water projects, may be somewhat less vulnerable to economic slowing.
In addition, the United States has experienced decades of underfunded economic expansion and aging infrastructure which have challenged the capacity of public water and transportation infrastructure forcing states and municipalities to seek creative means to fund needed expansion and repair. We believe the need for expanding public infrastructure will offer opportunity in our C&I segment for several years. Legislation and regulation that promotes domestic manufacturing could also create opportunity for our C&I segment. We expect the long-term growth in our C&I segment to generally track the overall growth of the regions we serve.
We continued to implement strategies that further expand our capabilities and effectively allocate capital. We have focused on strengthening our balance sheet by reducing our variable rate outstanding debt in the current higher interest rate environment, which has increased our liquidity and allows us to take advantage of future opportunities as they arise. During 2023 and 2022, the Company repurchased 25,042 and 442,167 shares, respectively of its common stock under repurchase programs at a weighted-average price of $114.55 and $83.64 per share, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had $72.5 million of remaining availability to purchase shares under our current program, which continues in effect until May 8, 2024, or until the authorized funds are exhausted. Additionally, on January 4, 2022, we acquired all issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Powerline Plus Ltd. and its affiliate (collectively, the “Powerline Plus Companies"), which expanded our distribution operations in Ontario, Canada.
We continue to manage our increasing operating costs, including increasing insurance, equipment, labor and material costs. We believe that our financial position, positive cash flows and other operational strengths will enable us to respond to challenges and uncertainties in the markets we serve and give us the flexibility to successfully execute our strategy. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I markets and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity. In 2023 and 2022, we invested in capital expenditures of approximately $84.7 million and $77.1 million, respectively. Most of our capital expenditures supported opportunities in our T&D business. We plan to continue to evaluate our needs for additional equipment and tooling.
Understanding Backlog
We define backlog as our estimated revenue on uncompleted contracts, including the amount of revenue on contracts for which work has not begun, less the revenue we have recognized under such contracts. Backlog may not accurately represent the revenues that we expect to realize during any particular period. Several factors, such as the timing of contract awards, the type and duration of contracts, and the mix of subcontractor and material costs in our projects, can impact our backlog at any point in time. Some of our revenue does not appear in our periodic backlog reporting because the award of the project, as well as the execution of the work, can all take place within the period. For many of our unit-price, time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts, we only include projected revenue for a three-month period in the calculation of backlog, although these types of contracts are generally awarded as part of MSAs that typically have a one- to three-year duration from execution. Additionally, the difference between our backlog and remaining performance obligations is due to the exclusion of a portion of our MSAs under certain contract types from our remaining performance obligations as these contracts can be canceled for convenience at any time by us or the customer without considerable cost incurred by the customer. Our backlog includes projects that have a written award, a letter of intent, a notice to proceed or an agreed upon work order to perform work on mutually accepted terms and conditions. Our estimated backlog also includes our proportionate share of our unconsolidated joint venture contracts.
Changes in backlog from period to period are primarily the result of fluctuations in the timing of awards, type of awards and revenue recognition of contracts. Backlog should not be relied upon as a stand-alone indicator of future events.
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Understanding Gross Margins
Our gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenues. Gross profit is calculated by subtracting contract costs from revenue. Contract costs consist primarily of salaries, wages and benefits to employees, depreciation, fuel and other equipment expenses, equipment rentals, subcontracted services, insurance, facilities expenses, materials and parts and supplies. Various factors affect our gross margins on a quarterly or annual basis, including those listed below.
Performance Risk. Margins may fluctuate because of the volume of work and the impacts of pricing and job productivity, which can be impacted both favorably and negatively by customer decisions and crew productivity, as well as other factors. When comparing a service contract between periods, factors affecting the gross margins associated with the revenues generated by the contract may include pricing under the contract, the volume of work performed under the contract, the mix of the type of work specifically being performed, the availability of labor resources at expected labor rates and the productivity of the crews performing the work. Productivity can be influenced by many factors including the experience level of the crew, whether the work is on an open or encumbered right of way, weather conditions, geographical conditions, trade stacking, performance of other sub-trades, schedule changes, effects of environmental restrictions, equipment availability and regulatory and permitting delays.
Revenue Mix and Contract Terms. The mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve will impact gross margins. Changes in our customers’ spending patterns in each of the industries we serve can cause an imbalance in supply and demand and, therefore, affect margins and mix of revenue by industry served. Storm restoration services typically command higher profit margins than other maintenance services. Seasonal and weather factors, as noted below, can impact the timing at which customers perform maintenance and repairs, which can cause a shift in the revenue mix. Some of our time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts include shared savings clauses, in which the contract includes a target price and we agree to share savings from that target price with our customer. Additionally, new construction work has a higher gross margin than maintenance and repair work. New construction work is often obtained on a fixed-price basis, which carries a higher risk than other types of pricing arrangements because a contractor can bear the risk of increased expenses. As such, we generally bid fixed-price contracts with higher profit margins. We typically derive approximately 25% to 45% of our revenue from maintenance and repair work that is performed under pre-established or negotiated prices or cost-plus pricing arrangements which generally allow us a set margin above our costs. Thus, the mix between new construction work, at fixed-price, and maintenance and repair work, at cost-plus, in a given period will impact gross margin in that period. The timing of accounting recognition of such savings can impact our margins. In addition, change orders and claims can impact our margins. Costs related to change orders and claims are recognized in contract costs when incurred, but revenue related to change orders is only recognized when it is probable that the change order will result in an addition to contract value and can be reliably estimated, whereas revenue related to claims is recognized only to the extent that contract costs related to the claim have been incurred and when it is probable that the claim will result in an addition to contract value which can be reliably estimated. Generally, no profit is recognized on a claim until final settlement occurs.
Seasonal, Weather and Geographical. Seasonal and changing patterns, primarily related to weather conditions and the availability of system outages, can have a significant impact on gross margins in a given period. It is typical during the winter months that parts of the country may experience snow or rainfall, which can affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Recent abnormal weather patterns including those related to excessive rainfall and increased thaw and freeze cycles also affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Additionally, our T&D customers often cannot remove their T&D lines from service during the summer months, when consumer demand for electricity is at its peak, delaying maintenance and repair services. In both cases, projects may be delayed or temporarily placed on hold. Conversely, in periods when weather remains dry and temperatures are moderate, more work can be done, sometimes with less cost, which would have a favorable impact on gross margins. The mix of business conducted in different parts of the country could also affect margins, as some parts of the country offer the opportunity for higher margins than others due to the geographic characteristics associated with the location where the work is being performed. Such characteristics include whether the project is performed in an urban versus a rural setting; in a mountainous area or in open terrain; or in normal soil conditions or rocky terrain. Site conditions, including unforeseen underground conditions, can also impact margins.
Depreciation and Amortization. We include depreciation on equipment and finance lease amortization in contract costs. This is common practice in our industry, but can make comparability to other companies difficult. We spend a significant amount of capital on property, facilities and equipment, with the majority of such expenditures being used to purchase additional specialized equipment to enhance our fleet and to reduce our reliance on lease arrangements and short term equipment rentals. We believe the investment in specialized equipment helps to reduce our costs, improve our margins and provide us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and complex projects.
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Material and Subcontract Costs. Projects that include a greater amount of material or subcontractor costs can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material and subcontractor costs in our bids than what we would to our labor and equipment cost. In addition, successful completion of our contracts may depend on whether our subcontractors successfully fulfill their contractual obligations. If our subcontractors fail to satisfactorily perform their contractual obligations as a result of financial or other difficulties, we may be required to incur additional costs and provide additional services in order to make up for such shortfalls. Additionally, we are required to allocate more working capital to projects when we are required to provide materials.
Insurance. Gross margins could be impacted by fluctuations in insurance accruals related to our deductibles and loss history in the period in which such adjustments are made. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to high deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Losses up to the deductible amounts are accrued based upon estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
Fleet Availability, Cost, Utilization, Estimation, and Bidding. We operate a centrally-managed fleet in the United States in an effort to control rising costs and achieve efficient equipment utilization. We also develop internal equipment rates which provide our business units with appropriate cost information to estimate bids for new projects. Availability of equipment for a particular contract is determined by our internal fleet ordering process which is designed to optimize the use of internal fleet assets and allocate equipment costs to individual contracts. We believe these processes allow us to utilize our equipment efficiently, which leads to improved gross margins. Transmission and distribution projects can require different types of equipment. A significant shift in project mix or timing could impact fleet utilization, causing gross margins to vary.
Cost of Material. On fixed-price contracts where we are required to provide materials, our overall gross margin may be affected if we experience increases in the quantity or costs of materials. Projects that include a greater amount of material cost can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material cost in our bids than what we would add to our labor and equipment cost.
Our team of trained estimators helps us to determine potential costs and revenues and make informed decisions on whether to bid for a project and, if bid, the rates to use in estimating the costs for that bid. The ability to accurately estimate labor, equipment, subcontracting and material costs in connection with a new project may affect the gross margins achieved for the project.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) consist primarily of compensation, related benefits and employee costs for management and administrative personnel, office rent and utilities, stock compensation, communications, professional fees, depreciation, IT expenses, marketing costs and bad debt expense.
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Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table sets forth selected statements of operations data and such data as a percentage of revenues for the years indicated:
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022
| For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (dollars in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Contract revenues | $ | 3,643,905 | 100.0 | % | $ | 3,008,542 | 100.0 | % | ||||||
| Contract costs | 3,279,508 | 90.0 | 2,664,580 | 88.6 | ||||||||||
| Gross profit | 364,397 | 10.0 | 343,962 | 11.4 | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 234,611 | 6.5 | 222,424 | 7.4 | ||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 4,907 | 0.1 | 9,009 | 0.3 | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale of property and equipment | (4,214) | (0.1) | (2,378) | (0.1) | ||||||||||
| Income from operations | 129,093 | 3.5 | 114,907 | 3.8 | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||
| Interest income | 888 | — | 187 | — | ||||||||||
| Interest expense | (4,939) | (0.1) | (3,563) | (0.1) | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense), net | (38) | — | 2,673 | 0.1 | ||||||||||
| Income before provision for income taxes | 125,004 | 3.4 | 114,204 | 3.8 | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 34,014 | 0.9 | 30,823 | 1.0 | ||||||||||
| Net income | 90,990 | 2.5 | 83,381 | 2.8 |
Revenues. Revenues increased $635.4 million, or 21.1%, to $3.64 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 from $3.01 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $297.5 million in revenue on transmission projects, an increase of $291.9 million in C&I revenue across certain geographical areas and an increase of $45.9 million in revenue on distribution projects. Clean energy projects increased revenue in both of our segments during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Gross margin. Gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased to 10.0% compared to 11.4% for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in gross margin was primarily impacted by significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net gross margin decrease of 1.7% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net decrease of 0.4% for the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2023, significant estimate changes negatively impacted gross margin by 2.1% and largely related to labor and project inefficiencies, some of which were caused by rising costs associated with supply chain disruptions, inflation and inclement weather experienced on certain projects. In addition, significant estimate changes in gross profit positively impacted gross margin by 0.4% and mainly related to favorable change orders, better-than-anticipated productivity and favorable weather on a project. Gross margin was also negatively impacted by inflation and an adjustment of $3.2 million associated with sales tax accruals for prior periods in one of our operating areas.
Gross profit. Gross profit increased $20.4 million, or 5.9%, to $364.4 million for year ended December 31, 2023 from $344.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, due to higher revenues, partially offset by lower margins.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. SG&A was $234.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $12.2 million from $222.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to an increase in employee-related expenses to support the growth in our operations and an increase of $5.0 million related to contingent compensation expense related to a prior acquisition.
Amortization of intangible assets. Amortization of intangible assets was $4.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $9.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The period-over-period decrease of $4.1 million was primarily due to $4.0 million of intangible amortization associated with the one-year amortization of backlog acquired with the Powerline Plus Companies during the year end December 31, 2022.
Gain on sale of property and equipment. Gains from the sale of property and equipment in the year ended December 31, 2023 were $4.2 million compared to $2.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2022. Gains from the sale of property and equipment are attributable to routine sales of property and equipment that are no longer useful or valuable to our ongoing operations.
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Interest expense. Interest expense was $4.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase was primarily attributable to higher interest rates partially offset by lower average debt balances during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
Other income (expense), net. Other income was not significant for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to other expense of $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The change was largely due to funds received in the prior year under the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy program, which were attributable to a C&I segment company.
Income tax expense. Income tax expense was $34.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, with an effective tax rate of 27.2%, compared to $30.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, with an effective tax rate of 27.0%. The increase in the tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to higher other permanent difference items, partially offset by a higher favorable impact from stock compensation excess tax benefits.
Net income. Net income increased to $91.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 from $83.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily for the reasons stated above.
Segment Results
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, statements of operations data by segment, segment net sales as a percentage of total net sales and segment operating income as a percentage of segment net sales:
| For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | Amount | Percent | Amount | Percent | ||||||||||
| Contract revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 2,089,196 | 57.3 | % | $ | 1,745,792 | 58.0 | % | ||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 1,554,709 | 42.7 | 1,262,750 | 42.0 | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 3,643,905 | 100.0 | $ | 3,008,542 | 100.0 | ||||||||
| Operating income (loss): | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 149,703 | 7.2 | $ | 138,886 | 8.0 | ||||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 45,889 | 3.0 | 43,159 | 3.4 | ||||||||||
| Total | 195,592 | 5.3 | 182,045 | 6.0 | ||||||||||
| Corporate | (66,499) | (1.8) | (67,138) | (2.2) | ||||||||||
| Consolidated | $ | 129,093 | 3.5 | % | $ | 114,907 | 3.8 | % |
Transmission & Distribution
Revenues for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $2.09 billion compared to $1.75 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $343.4 million, or 19.7%. The increase in revenue was related to an increase of $297.5 million in revenue on transmission projects, primarily related to an increase in revenue on clean energy projects, and an increase of $45.9 million in revenue on distribution projects. Revenues from transmission projects represented 66.1% and 62.1%, of T&D segment revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Operating income for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $149.7 million compared to $138.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $10.8 million, or 7.8%. The increase in T&D operating income from the prior year was primarily due to higher revenues as discussed above. As a percentage of revenues operating income for our T&D segment was 7.2% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to 8.0% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Operating income margin was impacted by significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net operating income margin decrease of 1.5% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net decrease of 0.1% for the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2023, significant estimated gross profit changes negatively impacted operating income as a percentage of revenues by 1.7% and largely related to labor and project inefficiencies, some of which were associated with clean energy projects, inclement weather, supply chain disruptions and inflation. These decreases were partially offset by positive significant estimated gross profit changes totaling 0.2% of revenues mostly related to favorable change orders, better-than-anticipated productivity and favorable weather on a project. Additionally, T&D operating income for the year ended December 31, 2022, was negatively impacted by $4.0 million of amortization related to the one-year amortization of backlog acquired with the Powerline Plus Companies.
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Commercial & Industrial
Revenues for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $1.55 billion compared to $1.26 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $291.9 million, or 23.1%, primarily due to higher revenue related to clean energy projects in certain geographical areas. The increase in revenue included an increase of $223.4 million in revenue on fixed priced contracts, an increase of $54.8 million on T&E contracts and an increase of $13.9 million in revenues on unit price work.
Operating income for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $45.9 million compared to $43.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $2.7 million, or 6.3%. The year-over-year increase in operating income was primarily due to higher revenues as discussed above. Operating income, as a percentage of revenues, for our C&I segment decreased to 3.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023 from 3.4% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Operating income margin was impacted by significant changes in our estimated gross profit on certain projects resulting in a net operating income margin decrease of 2.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net decrease of 0.7% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Significant estimated gross profit changes negatively impacted operating income as a percentage of revenues by 2.6% and largely related to labor and project inefficiencies, some of which were caused by supply chain disruptions and by rising costs associated with inflation. These decreases were partially offset by positive significant estimated gross profit changes totaling 0.6% of revenues mostly related to favorable change orders and better-than-anticipated productivity. Additionally, C&I operating income margin was negatively impacted by an adjustment of $3.2 million associated with an adjustment to sales tax accruals for prior periods in one of our operating areas, partially offset by improved productivity on a project that started in 2023 and favorable joint venture results.
Corporate
Corporate expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 were consistent with corporate expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Non-GAAP Measures
EBITDA
EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure used by management that we define as net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. plus net income from noncontrolling interests, interest expense net of interest income, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization, as shown in the following table. EBITDA does not purport to be an alternative to net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. as a measure of operating performance or to net cash flows provided by operating activities as a measure of liquidity. We believe that EBITDA is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance and cash flow because EBITDA is widely used by investors to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods, book value of assets, useful lives placed on assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired. Because not all companies define EBITDA as we do, this presentation of EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies. We use, and we believe investors benefit from, the presentation of EBITDA in evaluating our operating performance because it provides us and our investors with an additional tool to compare our operating performance on a consistent basis by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect our core operations.
Using EBITDA as a performance measure has material limitations as compared to net income, or other financial measures as defined under GAAP, as it excludes certain recurring items, which may be meaningful to investors. EBITDA excludes interest expense net of interest income; however, as we have borrowed money to finance transactions and operations, or invested available cash to generate interest income, interest expense and interest income are elements of our cost structure and can affect our ability to generate revenue and returns for our shareholders. Further, EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization; however, as we use capital and intangible assets to generate revenues, depreciation and amortization are necessary elements of our costs and ability to generate revenue. Finally, EBITDA excludes income taxes; however, as we are organized as a corporation, the payment of taxes is a necessary element of our operations. As a result of these exclusions from EBITDA, any measure that excludes interest expense net of interest income, depreciation and amortization and income taxes has material limitations as compared to net income. When using EBITDA as a performance measure, management compensates for these limitations by comparing EBITDA to net income in each period, to allow for the comparison of the performance of the underlying core operations with the overall performance of the company on a full-cost, after-tax basis. Using both EBITDA and net income to evaluate the business allows management and investors to (a) assess our relative performance against our competitors and (b) monitor our capacity to generate returns for our shareholders.
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The following table provides a reconciliation of net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. | $ | 90,990 | $ | 83,381 | $ | 85,010 | |||||
| Net loss - noncontrolling interests | — | — | (4) | ||||||||
| Net income | 90,990 | 83,381 | 85,006 | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 4,051 | 3,376 | 1,729 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 34,014 | 30,823 | 31,300 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 59,138 | 58,170 | 46,205 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 188,193 | $ | 175,750 | $ | 164,240 |
We also use EBITDA as a liquidity measure. Certain material covenants contained within our credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) are based on EBITDA with certain additional adjustments as defined in the Credit Agreement. Non-compliance with these financial covenants under the Credit Agreement — our interest coverage ratio which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and our net leverage ratio, which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Total Net Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement), divided by Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) — could result in our lenders requiring us to immediately repay all amounts borrowed. If we anticipated a potential covenant violation, we would seek relief from our lenders, likely causing us to incur additional cost, and such relief might not be available, or if available, might not be on terms as favorable as those in the Credit Agreement. In addition, if we cannot satisfy these financial covenants, we would be prohibited under the Credit Agreement from engaging in certain activities, such as incurring additional indebtedness, making certain payments, and acquiring or disposing of assets. Based on the information above, management believes that the presentation of EBITDA as a liquidity measure is useful to investors and relevant to their assessment of our capacity to service or incur debt, fund capital expenditures, finance acquisitions and expand our operations.
The following table provides a reconciliation of net cash flows provided by operating activities to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Net cash flows provided by operating activities | $ | 71,016 | $ | 167,484 | $ | 137,228 | |||||
| Add/(subtract) | |||||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities | 85,426 | (8,522) | 6,554 | ||||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities | (65,452) | (75,581) | (58,776) | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 59,138 | 58,170 | 46,205 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 34,014 | 30,823 | 31,300 | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 4,051 | 3,376 | 1,729 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 188,193 | $ | 175,750 | $ | 164,240 |
Working Capital
Working capital is a non-GAAP measure. We believe working capital is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance. The Company defines working capital as total current assets less total current liabilities. The following table provides the Company’s calculation of working capital:
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Total current assets | $ | 1,026,244 | $ | 890,291 | $ | 748,390 | |||||
| Less: total current liabilities | (747,202) | (666,960) | (498,599) | ||||||||
| Working capital | $ | 279,042 | $ | 223,331 | $ | 249,791 |
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Liquidity, Capital Resources and Material Cash Requirements
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had working capital of $279.0 million and $223.3 million, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2023, our operating activities provided cash of $71.0 million, compared to $167.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Cash flow from operations is primarily influenced by operating margins, timing of contract performance and the type of services we provide to our customers. The $96.5 million year-over-year decline in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to unfavorable net changes in operating assets and liabilities of $93.9 million, offset by a $7.6 million increase in net income. The unfavorable change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to the net unfavorable year-over-year changes in various working capital accounts that relate primarily to construction activities (accounts receivable, contract assets, accounts payable and contract liabilities) of $133.0 million, partially offset by the favorable change of $43.6 million in other liabilities. The net unfavorable changes of $133.0 million in cash provided by working capital accounts, mainly related to construction activities, was due to the timing of billings and payments under our contracts. The favorable change of $43.6 million in other liabilities was primarily due to the timing of employee related wage and tax payments.
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we used net cash of $79.1 million and $185.7 million, respectively, in investing activities. The $79.1 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted of $84.7 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $5.6 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment. The $185.7 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted of $110.7 million to acquire the Powerline Plus Companies and $77.1 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $2.0 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment.
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we used cash of $18.4 million, and $9.3 million, respectively in financing activities. The $18.4 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted primarily of $7.9 million of shares repurchased to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs, $4.6 million of payments under our equipment notes, $2.9 million of share repurchases under our share repurchase program, $2.1 million of debt refinancing costs and $1.1 million of repayments of finance lease obligations, partially offset by $0.3 million of net borrowings under our revolving line of credit. The $9.3 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted primarily of $37.0 million of shares repurchases under our share repurchase program, $6.8 million of shares repurchased to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs, $1.6 million of repayments of finance lease obligations and $1.0 million of net repayments under our master equipment loan agreements. These uses of cash during the year ended December 31, 2022, were partially offset by $24.2 million of borrowing under our equipment notes and $12.9 million of net borrowing under our revolving line of credit.
We believe our $442.4 million borrowing availability under our revolving line of credit at December 31, 2023, future cash flow from operations and our ability to utilize short-term and long-term leases will provide sufficient liquidity for our short-term and long-term needs. Our primary short-term liquidity needs include cash for operations, debt service requirements, capital expenditures, and acquisition and joint venture opportunities. We believe we have adequate sources of liquidity to meet our long-term liquidity needs and foreseeable material cash requirements, including those associated with funding future acquisition opportunities. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I segments and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity.
We have not historically paid dividends and currently do not expect to pay dividends.
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Debt Instruments
Credit Agreement
On May 31, 2023, the Company entered into a five-year third amended and restated credit agreement with a maturity date of May 31, 2028, (the “Credit Agreement”) through a syndicate of banks led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A, that provides for a $490 million revolving credit facility (the “Facility”), subject to certain financial covenants as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Facility allows for revolving loans in Canadian dollars and other non-US currencies, up to the U.S. dollars equivalent of $150 million. Up to $75 million of the Facility may be used for letters of credit, with an additional $75 million available for letters of credit, subject to the sole discretion of each issuing bank. The Facility also allows for $15 million to be used for swingline loans. The Company has an expansion option to increase the commitments under the Facility or enter into incremental term loans, subject to certain conditions, by up to an additional $200 million upon receipt of additional commitments from new or existing lenders. Subject to certain exceptions, the Facility is secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its domestic subsidiaries, and by a pledge of substantially all of the capital stock of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries and 65% of the capital stock of the direct foreign subsidiaries of the Company. Additionally, subject to certain exceptions, the Company’s domestic subsidiaries also guarantee the repayment of all amounts due under the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement provides for customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Credit Agreement, amounts outstanding under the Facility may be accelerated and may become or be declared immediately due and payable. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement are used to refinance existing indebtedness, and to provide for future working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes.
Amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s option, at a rate equal to either (1) the Alternate Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.25% to 1.00%; or (2) the Term Benchmark Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.25% to 2.00%. The applicable margin is determined based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement). The Credit Agreement establishes Adjusted Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") (as defined in the Credit Agreement) as the benchmark rate in replacement of LIBOR. Letters of credit issued under the Facility are subject to a letter of credit fee of 1.25% to 2.00% for non-performance letters of credit or 0.625% to 1.00% for performance letters of credit, based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio. The Company is subject to a commitment fee of 0.20% to 0.30%, based on the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio, on any unused portion of the Facility. The Credit Agreement restricts certain types of payments when the Company’s Net Leverage Ratio, after giving pro forma effect thereto, exceeds 2.75.
Under the Credit Agreement, the Company is subject to certain financial covenants including a maximum Net Leverage Ratio of 3.0 and a minimum Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of 3.0. The Credit Agreement also contains covenants including limitations on asset sales, investments, indebtedness and liens. The Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2023, we had $13.2 million debt outstanding under the Facility. We had $12.9 million debt outstanding under a previous facility as of December 31, 2022.
Letters of Credit
Some of our vendors require letters of credit to ensure reimbursement for amounts they are disbursing on our behalf, such as to beneficiaries under our insurance programs. In addition, from time to time, certain customers or our sureties require us to post letters of credit to ensure payment to our subcontractors and vendors and guarantee performance under our contracts. Such letters of credit are generally issued by a bank or similar financial institution typically pursuant to our senior credit facility. Each letter of credit commits the issuer to pay specified amounts to the holder of the letter of credit if the holder claims that we have failed to perform specified actions. If this were to occur, we would be required to reimburse the issuer of the letter of credit. Depending on the circumstances of such a reimbursement, we may also have to record a charge to earnings for the reimbursement.
As of December 31, 2023, we had $34.4 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement, including $27.1 million related to the Company's payment obligations under its insurance programs and approximately $7.3 million related to contract performance obligations. As of December 31, 2022, we had $12.8 million in letters of credit outstanding under our previous credit agreement which were almost entirely related to the Company's payment obligations under its insurance programs. We are not aware of any claims currently asserted or threatened under any of these letters of credit that are material, individually or in the aggregate. However, to the extent payment is required for any such claims, the amount paid could be material and could adversely affect cash flows.
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Equipment Notes
We have entered into multiple Master Loan Agreements with multiple banks. The Master Loan Agreements may be used for financing of equipment between us and the lenders pursuant to one or more equipment notes (“Equipment Notes”). Each Equipment Note constitutes a separate, distinct and independent financing of equipment and contractual obligation.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had two outstanding Equipment Notes collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we also had one other equipment note outstanding collateralized by a vehicle owned by us. The outstanding balance of all Equipment Notes was $23.0 million as of December 31, 2023, of which $7.1 million was due in the next twelve months. The outstanding balance of these Equipment Notes was $27.6 million as of December 31, 2022, of which $5.1 million was due in the next twelve months.
Lease Obligations
From time to time, the Company enters into non-cancelable leases for some of our facility, vehicle and equipment needs. These leases allow the Company to conserve cash by paying a monthly lease rental fee for the use of facilities, vehicles and equipment rather than purchasing them. The Company’s leases have remaining terms ranging from one to ten years, some of which may include options to extend the leases for up to six years, and some of which may include options to terminate the leases within one year. Typically, the Company has purchase options on the equipment underlying its long-term leases and many of its short-term rental arrangements. The Company may exercise some of these purchase options when the need for equipment is ongoing and the purchase option price is attractive.
The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $35.0 million as of December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $9.2 million and $25.8 million, respectively. The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $30.5 million as of December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $9.7 million and $20.8 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023, we had $2.3 million outstanding finance lease obligations, consisting of short-term and long-term finance lease obligations of approximately $2.0 million and $0.3 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, we had $3.4 million outstanding finance lease obligations, consisting of short-term and long-term finance lease obligations of approximately $1.1 million and $2.3 million, respectively.
Purchase Commitments for Construction Equipment
As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $32.5 million in outstanding purchase obligations for certain construction equipment to be paid with cash outlays scheduled to occur in 2024.
Performance and Payment Bonds and Parent Guarantees
Many customers, particularly in connection with new construction, require us to post performance and payment bonds typically issued by a surety or insurance company. These bonds provide a guarantee to the customer that we will perform under the terms of a contract and that we will pay subcontractors and vendors. If we fail to perform under a contract or to pay subcontractors and vendors, the customer may demand that the surety make payments or provide services under the bond. We must reimburse the respective issuers of the bonds for any claim expenses or outlays they incur. Under our continuing indemnity and security agreements with the issuers of the bonds, we may be required to grant them a security interest relating to a particular project. We believe that it is unlikely that we will have to fund significant claims under our surety arrangements. As of December 31, 2023, an aggregate of approximately $2.44 billion in original face amount of bonds issued by our sureties were outstanding. Our estimated remaining cost to complete these bonded projects was approximately $726.1 million as of December 31, 2023.
From time to time we guarantee the obligations of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, including obligations under certain contracts with customers, certain lease agreements, and, in some states, obligations in connection with obtaining contractors’ licenses. Additionally, from time to time we are required to post letters of credit to guarantee the obligations of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, which reduces the borrowing availability under our credit facility.
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Concentration of Credit Risk
We grant trade credit under contractual payment terms, generally without collateral, to our customers, which include high credit quality electric utilities, governmental entities, general contractors and builders, owners and managers of commercial and industrial properties. Consequently, we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and economic factors. However, we generally have certain statutory lien rights with respect to services provided. Under certain circumstances such as foreclosures or negotiated settlements, we may take title to the underlying assets in lieu of cash in settlement of receivables. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, none of our customers individually exceeded 10.0% of our accounts receivable.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1 — Organization, Business and Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to our Financial Statements.
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities known to exist at the date of the Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates. We believe the following accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Financial Statements:
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer-controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we estimate profit by determining the difference between total estimated revenue and total estimated cost of a contract. In addition, we estimate a cost accrual every quarter that represents unbilled invoicing activity for services performed by subcontractors and suppliers during the quarter, and estimate revenue from the contract cost portion of this accrual based on current gross margin rates to be consistent with our cost method of revenue recognition. The estimated value of unbilled amounts are determined using a regression analysis that estimates value based on our historical experience, and is adjusted for large individual projects. The profit and corresponding revenue is recognized over the contract term based on costs incurred under the cost-to-cost method. We utilized the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. For purposes of recognizing revenue, we follow the five-step approach outlined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606.
As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Because our billings are based on contract terms and do not coincide with our progress in a project, revenue recognition also includes an amount related to our contract asset or contract liability. If the recognized revenue is greater than the amount billed to the customer, a contract asset is recorded. Additionally, the contract asset includes retainage billed to the customer that cannot be collected until the contract work has been completed and approved. Conversely, if the amount billed to the customer is greater than the recognized revenue, a contract liability is recorded. Additionally, the contract liability includes a liability for the excess of costs over revenues for all contracts that are in a loss position.
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Contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition. Additionally, we estimate costs to complete on fixed price contracts which are determined on an individual contract basis by evaluating each project’s status as of the balance sheet date, and using our historical experience with the level of effort required to complete the underlying project. Claims and change orders are also measured based on our historical experience with individual customers and similar contracts, and are evaluated by management individually. A change order is a modification to a contract that changes the provisions of the contract, typically resulting from changes in scope, specifications, design, manner of performance, facilities, equipment, materials, sites, or period of completion of the work under the contract. A claim is an amount in excess of the agreed-upon contract price that we seek to collect from our clients or others for client-caused delays, errors in specifications and designs, contract terminations, change orders that are either in dispute or are unapproved as to both scope and price, or other causes. We include these estimated amounts of variable consideration to the extent that it is probable there will not be a significant reversal of revenue. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we recognized revenues of $76.5 million and $19.6 million, respectively, related to significant change orders and/or claims that had been included as contract price adjustments on certain contracts, some of which are multi-year projects.
Some of our contracts may have contract terms that include variable consideration such as safety or performance bonuses or liquidated damages. In accordance with ASC 606, we estimate the variable consideration using one of two methods. In contracts in which there is a binary outcome, the most likely amount method is used. In instances in which there is a range of possible outcomes, the expected value method is used. In accordance with ASC 606, we include the estimated amount of variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative recognized revenue will not occur when the final outcome of the variable consideration is determined. In contracts in which a significant reversal may occur, we use constraint in recognizing revenue on variable consideration. Although we often enter into contracts that contain liquidated damage clauses, we rarely incur them, and as such, we do not include amounts associated with liquidated damage clauses until it is probable that liquidated damages will occur. These items are continually monitored by multiple levels of management throughout the reporting period.
A portion of the work we perform requires financial assurances in the form of performance and payment bonds or letters of credit at the time of execution of the contract. Many of our contracts include retention provisions of up to 10%, which are generally withheld from each progress payment as retainage until the contract work has been completed and approved.
The accuracy of our revenue and profit recognition in a given period is dependent on the accuracy of our estimates of the cost to complete each project. Cost estimates for all of our significant projects use a detailed “bottoms up” approach and we believe our experience typically allows us to provide materially reliable estimates. There are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in estimates of contract cost and profitability. The most significant of these include, among others:
•the completeness and accuracy of the original bid;
•costs associated with scope changes, change orders or claims;
•costs of labor and/or materials;
•extended overhead due to owner, weather and other delays;
•subcontractor performance issues;
•changes in productivity expectations;
•site conditions that differ from those assumed in the original bid (to the extent contract remedies are unavailable);
•the availability and skill level of workers in the geographic location of the project; and
•a change in the availability and proximity of equipment and materials.
The foregoing factors as well as the stage of completion of contracts in process and the mix of contracts at different margins may cause fluctuations in gross profit between periods. During the year ended December 31, 2023, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 1.7%. During the year ended December 31, 2022, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 0.4%. During the year ended December 31, 2021, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects increased consolidated gross margin by 0.4%.
We provide warranties to customers on a basis customary to the industry; however, the warranty period does not typically exceed one year. Historically, warranty claims have not been material.
Total revenues do not include sales tax as we consider ourselves a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales taxes. Sales tax and value added tax collected from customers is included in other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
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Insurance. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to certain deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Our deductible for each line of coverage is up to $1.0 million. Certain health benefit plans are subject to stop-loss limits of up to $0.2 million, for qualified individuals. Losses up to the deductible and stop-loss amounts are accrued based upon our estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
The insurance and claims accruals are based on known facts, actuarial estimates and historical trends. While recorded accruals are based on the ultimate liability, which includes amounts in excess of the deductible, a corresponding receivable for amounts in excess of the deductible is included in current assets on our consolidated balance sheets.
Stock-Based Compensation. We determine compensation expense for stock-based awards based on the estimated fair values at the grant date and recognize the related compensation expense ratably over the vesting period. We use the straight-line amortization method to recognize compensation expense related to stock-based awards, such as restricted stock units, that have only service conditions. This method recognizes stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards that vest based on internal performance metrics and service conditions on a straight-line basis over the service period, but adjust inception-to-date expense based upon our determination of the expected achievement of the performance target at each reporting date which may vary from zero to 200% of the target performance awards. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards with market-based performance metrics on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. We recognize forfeitures as they occur. Shares issued under the Company’s stock-based compensation program are taken out of authorized but unissued shares.
Goodwill and Intangibles. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. We perform either a qualitative or quantitative assessment to review goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment on an annual basis. This assessment is performed at the beginning of the fourth quarter, or when circumstances change, such as a significant adverse change in the business climate or the decision to sell a business, both of which would indicate that impairment may have occurred. Intangible assets with finite lives are also reviewed for impairment and tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
A qualitative assessment considers financial, industry, segment and macroeconomic factors, if the qualitative assessment indicates a potential for impairment, a quantitative assessment is performed to determine if impairment exists. The quantitative assessment begins with a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit or intangible asset with its carrying value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit or intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss would be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit or intangible asset. If the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite lived assets exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment charge would be recorded in the statement of operations.
As a result of the annual qualitative review process in 2023 and 2022, we determined it was not necessary to perform a quantitative assessment. In 2021, we performed a quantitative assessment on our goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives; this assessment did not indicate that our goodwill or indefinite lived intangible assets were impaired.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We do not generally charge interest to our customers, and we carry our customer receivables at their face amounts, less an allowance for doubtful accounts. Based on our experience in recent years, the majority of customer balances at each balance sheet date are collected within twelve months. As is common practice in the industry, we classify all accounts receivable as current assets. The allowance for doubtful accounts associated with account receivables was $2.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and $2.1 million as of December 31, 2022.
We grant trade credit, on a non-collateralized basis (with the exception of lien rights against the property in certain cases) to our customers, and we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and overall economic activity. We analyze specific accounts receivable balances, historical bad debts, customer credit-worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In the event that a customer balance is deemed to be uncollectible the account balance is written-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts.
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FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000700923-23-000012.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This management’s discussion and analysis provides a narrative on the Company’s financial performance and condition that should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this report, including the Financial Statements and related notes contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.” We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Presentation of Information
The discussion that follows includes a comparison of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022. For a discussion of changes from the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (filed February 23, 2022).
Overview-Introduction
We are a holding company of specialty electrical construction service providers that was established in 1995 through the merger of long-standing specialty contractors. Through our subsidiaries, we serve the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets. We manage and report our operations through two electrical contracting service segments: Transmission and Distribution (“T&D”) and Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”).
We have operated in the transmission and distribution industry since 1891. We are one of the largest U.S. contractors servicing the T&D sector of the electric utility industry and provide T&D services throughout the United States and in Ontario, Canada. Our T&D customers include many of the leading companies in the electric utility industry. We have provided electrical contracting services for commercial and industrial construction since 1912. Our C&I segment provides services in the United States and in western Canada. Our C&I customers include facility owners and general contractors.
We believe that we have a number of competitive advantages in both of our segments, including our skilled workforce, extensive centralized fleet, proven safety performance and reputation for timely completion of quality work that allows us to compete favorably in our markets. In addition, we believe that we are better capitalized than some of our competitors, which provides us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and more complex projects.
We had revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 of $3.01 billion compared to $2.50 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2022, net income was $83.4 million compared to $85.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Overview-Segments
Transmission and Distribution segment. Our T&D segment provides comprehensive solutions to providers in the electric utility industry. Our T&D segment generally serves the electric utility industry as a prime contractor to customers such as investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, private developers, government-funded utilities, independent power producers, independent transmission companies, industrial facility owners and other contractors. We have long-standing relationships with many of our T&D customers who rely on us to construct and maintain reliable electric and other utility infrastructure. Our T&D segment provides a broad range of services on electric transmission and distribution networks, substation facilities and clean energy projects, which include design, engineering, procurement, construction, upgrade and maintenance and repair services. Our T&D services include the construction and maintenance of high voltage transmission lines, substations, lower voltage underground and overhead distribution systems, clean energy facilities and limited gas construction services. We also provide many services to our customers under multi-year master service agreements (“MSAs”) and other variable-term service agreements.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our T&D revenues were $1.75 billion, or 58.0%, of our revenue, compared to $1.30 billion, or 52.1%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $1.15 billion, or 51.4%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020. Revenues from transmission projects represented 62.1%, 62.0%, and 64.6% of T&D segment revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Our T&D segment also provides restoration services in response to hurricanes, ice storms or other storm related events, which accounted for less than 5% of our annual revenues in 2022, 2021 and 2020.
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Measured by revenues in our T&D segment, we provided 47.8%, 43.0% and 44.0% of our T&D services under fixed-price contracts during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Commercial and Industrial segment. Our C&I segment provides a wide range of services including design, installation, maintenance and repair of commercial and industrial wiring, the installation of intelligent transportation systems, roadway lighting and signalization. In our C&I segment, we generally provide our electric construction and maintenance services as a subcontractor to general contractors in the C&I industry as well as directly to facility owners. We have a diverse customer base with many long-standing relationships. We concentrate our efforts on projects where our technical and project management expertise are critical to successful and timely execution. The majority of C&I contracts cover electrical contracting services for airports, hospitals, data centers, hotels, stadiums, commercial and industrial facilities, clean energy projects, manufacturing plants, processing facilities, water/waste-water treatment facilities, mining facilities and transportation control and management systems.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our C&I revenues were $1.26 billion, or 42.0%, of our revenue, compared to $1.20 billion, or 47.9%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $1.09 billion, or 48.6%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Measured by revenues in our C&I segment, we provided 83.3%, 80.5% and 82.7% of our services under fixed-price contracts for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Overview-Revenue and Gross Margins
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we utilize the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Additionally, contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition.
Gross Margins. Our gross margin can vary between periods as a result of many factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include: the mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve, the size and duration of our projects, the mix of business conducted in different parts of the United States and Canada, the mix of service and maintenance work compared to new construction work, the amount of work that we subcontract, the amount of material we supply, changes in labor, equipment or insurance costs, seasonal weather patterns, changes in fleet utilization, pricing pressures due to competition, efficiency of work performance, fluctuations in commodity prices of materials, delays in the timing of projects and other factors. The gross margins we record in the current period may not be indicative of margins in future periods.
Overview-Economic, Industry and Market Factors
We operate in competitive markets, which can result in pricing pressures for the services we provide. Work is often awarded through a bidding and selection process, where price is always a principal factor. We generally focus on managing our profitability by: selecting projects that we believe will provide attractive margins; actively monitoring the costs of completing our projects; holding customers accountable for costs related to changes to contract specifications and rewarding our employees for controlling costs.
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The demand for construction and maintenance services from our customers has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to downturns in the markets we serve as well as the economy in general. The financial condition of our customers and their access to capital, variations in the margins of projects performed during any particular period, and regional and national economic conditions in the United States and Canada may materially affect results. Project schedules, particularly in connection with larger, multi-year projects, can also create fluctuations in our revenues. Other market and industry factors, such as changes to our customers’ capital spending plans or delays in regulatory approvals can affect project schedules. Changes in technology, tax and other incentives and new or changing regulatory requirements affecting the industries we serve can impact demand for our services. While we actively monitor economic, industry and market factors affecting our business, we cannot predict the impact such factors may have on our future results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. As a result of economic, industry and market factors, our operating results in any particular period or year may not be indicative of the results that can be expected for any other period or for any other year.
Overview-Seasonality and Nature of Our Work Environment
Although our revenues are primarily driven by spending patterns in our customers’ industries, our revenues and results of operations, particularly those derived from our T&D segment, can be subject to seasonal variations. These variations are influenced by weather, daylight hours, availability of system outages from utilities, and holidays. During the winter months, demand for our T&D work may be high, but our work can be delayed due to inclement weather. During the summer months, the demand for our T&D work may be affected by fewer available system outages, due to peak electrical demands caused by warmer weather, which limits our ability to perform electrical line service work. During the spring and fall months, the demand for our T&D work may increase due to improved weather conditions and system availability; however, extended periods of rain and other severe weather can affect the deployment of our crews and efficiency of operations. Furthermore, our work is performed under a variety of conditions in different locations, including but not limited to, difficult terrain, sites which may have been exposed to harsh and hazardous conditions, and in large urban centers where delivery of materials and availability of labor may be impacted.
We also provide storm restoration services to our T&D customers. These services tend to have a higher profit margin. However, storm restoration service work that is performed under an MSA typically has similar rates to other work under the agreement. In addition, deploying employees on storm restoration work may, at times, delay work on other transmission and distribution work. Storm restoration service work is unpredictable and can affect results of operations.
Outlook
Our business is directly impacted by the level of spending on T&D infrastructure and the level of C&I electrical construction activity across the United States and Canada. We are optimistic about infrastructure spending and believe that industry activity will continue in both our transmission and distribution market segments and the drivers for utility investment will remain intact. We believe that regulatory reform, state clean energy portfolio standards, the aging of the electric grid, and potential overall improvement of the economy will positively impact the level of spending by our customers in all of the markets we serve. Although competition remains strong, we see these trends as positive factors for us in the future.
We believe legislative actions aimed at supporting infrastructure improvements in the United States may positively impact long-term demand, particularly in connection with electric power infrastructure, transportation and clean energy spending. We believe the legislative actions are likely to provide greater long-term opportunity in both of our reporting segments. However both of our segments and supporting operations may be subject to delays and cost volatility due to supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures, tariffs and regulatory slowdowns which may result in decelerations in project opportunities and awards.
We believe there is an ongoing need for utilities to sustain investment in their transmission systems to improve reliability, reduce congestion and connect to new clean energy sources. Consequently, we believe we will continue to see significant bidding activity on large transmission projects going forward. The timing of multi-year transmission project awards and substantial construction activity is difficult to predict due to regulatory requirements and the permitting needed to commence construction. Significant construction on any large, multi-year projects awarded in 2023 will not likely have a large impact on our 2023 results. Bidding and construction activity for small to medium-size transmission projects and upgrades remain active, and we expect this trend to continue.
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As a result of reduced spending by United States utilities on their distribution systems for several years, we believe there is a need for sustained investment by utilities on their distribution systems to properly maintain or meet reliability requirements. In 2022, we continued to see increased bidding activity in some of our electric distribution markets, as economic conditions improved in those areas. We believe the increased storm activity and destruction caused by wildfires will cause a push to strengthen utility distribution systems against catastrophic damage. Several industry and market trends are also prompting customers in the electric utility industry to seek outsourcing partners rather than performing projects internally. These trends include an aging electric utility workforce, increasing costs and staffing constraints. We believe electric utility employee retirements could increase with further economic recovery, which may result in an increase in outsourcing opportunities.
Our C&I bidding opportunities could be impacted by market disruptions, and as a result, the growth of our C&I market will be heavily dependent on the timing and pace of the overall market recovery. We believe that the primary markets we serve, such as health care, transportation, data centers, warehousing, clean energy and water/waste-water projects, may be somewhat less vulnerable to economic slowing.
In addition, the United States has experienced decades of underfunded economic expansion and aging infrastructure which has challenged the capacity of public water and transportation infrastructure forcing states and municipalities to seek creative means to fund needed expansion and repair. We believe the need for expanding public infrastructure will offer opportunity in our C&I segment for several years. We expect the long-term growth in our C&I segment to generally track the overall growth of the regions we serve.
We strive to maintain our status as a preferred provider to our T&D and C&I customers. We continued to implement strategies that further expand our capabilities and effectively allocate capital. We have focused on strengthening our balance sheet by reducing our variable rate outstanding debt in the current higher interest rate environment, which has increased our liquidity and allows us to take advantage of future opportunities as they arise. Additionally, on January 4, 2022, we acquired all issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Powerline Plus Ltd. and its affiliate (collectively, the “Powerline Plus Companies"), which expanded our distribution operations in Ontario, Canada. During 2022, the Company repurchased 442,167 shares of its common stock under repurchase programs at a weighted-average price of $83.64 per share. As of December 31, 2022, we had $75.0 million of remaining availability to purchase shares under our current program, which continues in effect until May 8, 2023, or until the authorized funds are exhausted.
We continue to manage our increasing operating costs, including increasing insurance, equipment, labor and material costs. We believe that our financial position, positive cash flows and other operational strengths will enable us to manage our markets and give us the flexibility to successfully execute our strategies. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I markets and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity. In 2022 and 2021, we invested in capital expenditures of approximately $77.1 million and $52.4 million, respectively. Most of our capital expenditures supported opportunities in our T&D business. We plan to continue to evaluate our needs for additional equipment and tooling.
Understanding Backlog
We define backlog as our estimated revenue on uncompleted contracts, including the amount of revenue on contracts for which work has not begun, less the revenue we have recognized under such contracts. Backlog may not accurately represent the revenues that we expect to realize during any particular period. Several factors, such as the timing of contract awards, the type and duration of contracts, and the mix of subcontractor and material costs in our projects, can impact our backlog at any point in time. Some of our revenue does not appear in our periodic backlog reporting because the award of the project, as well as the execution of the work, can all take place within the period. For many of our unit-price, time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts, we only include projected revenue for a three-month period in the calculation of backlog, although these types of contracts are generally awarded as part of MSAs that typically have a one- to three-year duration from execution. Additionally, the difference between our backlog and remaining performance obligations is due to the exclusion of a portion of our MSAs under certain contract types from our remaining performance obligations as these contracts can be canceled for convenience at any time by us or the customer without considerable cost incurred by the customer. Our backlog includes projects that have a written award, a letter of intent, a notice to proceed or an agreed upon work order to perform work on mutually accepted terms and conditions. Our estimated backlog also includes our proportionate share of our unconsolidated joint venture contracts.
Changes in backlog from period to period are primarily the result of fluctuations in the timing of awards and revenue recognition of contracts. Backlog should not be relied upon as a stand-alone indicator of future events.
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Understanding Gross Margins
Our gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenues. Gross profit is calculated by subtracting contract costs from revenue. Contract costs consist primarily of salaries, wages and benefits to employees, depreciation, fuel and other equipment expenses, equipment rentals, subcontracted services, insurance, facilities expenses, materials and parts and supplies. Various factors affect our gross margins on a quarterly or annual basis, including those listed below.
Performance Risk. Margins may fluctuate because of the volume of work and the impacts of pricing and job productivity, which can be impacted both favorably and negatively by customer decisions and crew productivity, as well as other factors. When comparing a service contract between periods, factors affecting the gross margins associated with the revenues generated by the contract may include pricing under the contract, the volume of work performed under the contract, the mix of the type of work specifically being performed, the availability of labor resources at expected labor rates and the productivity of the crews performing the work. Productivity can be influenced by many factors including the experience level of the crew, whether the work is on an open or encumbered right of way, weather conditions, geographical conditions, trade stacking, performance of other sub-trades, schedule changes, effects of environmental restrictions, equipment availability and regulatory and permitting delays.
Revenue Mix and Contract Terms. The mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve will impact gross margins. Changes in our customers’ spending patterns in each of the industries we serve can cause an imbalance in supply and demand and, therefore, affect margins and mix of revenue by industry served. Storm restoration services typically command higher profit margins than other maintenance services. Seasonal and weather factors, as noted below, can impact the timing at which customers perform maintenance and repairs, which can cause a shift in the revenue mix. Some of our time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts include shared savings clauses, in which the contract includes a target price and we agree to share savings from that target price with our customer. Additionally, new construction work has a higher gross margin than maintenance and repair work. New construction work is often obtained on a fixed-price basis, which carries a higher risk than other types of pricing arrangements because a contractor can bear the risk of increased expenses. As such, we generally bid fixed-price contracts with higher profit margins. We typically derive approximately 25% to 45% of our revenue from maintenance and repair work that is performed under pre-established or negotiated prices or cost-plus pricing arrangements which generally allow us a set margin above our costs. Thus, the mix between new construction work, at fixed-price, and maintenance and repair work, at cost-plus, in a given period will impact gross margin in that period. The timing of accounting recognition of such savings can impact our margins. In addition, change orders and claims can impact our margins. Costs related to change orders and claims are recognized in contract costs when incurred, but revenue related to change orders is only recognized when it is probable that the change order will result in an addition to contract value and can be reliably estimated, whereas revenue related to claims is recognized only to the extent that contract costs related to the claim have been incurred and when it is probable that the claim will result in an addition to contract value which can be reliably estimated. Generally, no profit is recognized on a claim until final settlement occurs.
Seasonal, Weather and Geographical. Seasonal patterns, primarily related to weather conditions and the availability of system outages, can have a significant impact on gross margins in a given period. It is typical during the winter months that parts of the country may experience snow or rainfall, which can affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Additionally, our T&D customers often cannot remove their T&D lines from service during the summer months, when consumer demand for electricity is at its peak, delaying maintenance and repair services. In both cases, projects may be delayed or temporarily placed on hold. Conversely, in periods when weather remains dry and temperatures are moderate, more work can be done, sometimes with less cost, which would have a favorable impact on gross margins. The mix of business conducted in different parts of the country could also affect margins, as some parts of the country offer the opportunity for higher margins than others due to the geographic characteristics associated with the location where the work is being performed. Such characteristics include whether the project is performed in an urban versus a rural setting; in a mountainous area or in open terrain; or in normal soil conditions or rocky terrain. Site conditions, including unforeseen underground conditions, can also impact margins.
Depreciation and Amortization. We include depreciation on equipment and finance lease amortization in contract costs. This is common practice in our industry, but can make comparability to other companies difficult. We spend a significant amount of capital on property, facilities and equipment, with the majority of such expenditures being used to purchase additional specialized equipment to enhance our fleet and to reduce our reliance on lease arrangements and short term equipment rentals. We believe the investment in specialized equipment helps to reduce our costs, improve our margins and provide us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and complex projects.
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Material and Subcontract Costs. Projects that include a greater amount of material or subcontractor costs can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material and subcontractor costs in our bids than what we would to our labor and equipment cost. In addition, successful completion of our contracts may depend on whether our subcontractors successfully fulfill their contractual obligations. If our subcontractors fail to satisfactorily perform their contractual obligations as a result of financial or other difficulties, we may be required to incur additional costs and provide additional services in order to make up for such shortfalls. Additionally, we are required to allocate more working capital to projects when we are required to provide materials.
Insurance. Gross margins could be impacted by fluctuations in insurance accruals related to our deductibles and loss history in the period in which such adjustments are made. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to high deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Losses up to the deductible amounts are accrued based upon estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
Fleet Availability, Cost, Utilization, Estimation, and Bidding. We operate a centrally-managed fleet in the United States in an effort to control rising costs and achieve efficient equipment utilization. We also develop internal equipment rates which provide our business units with appropriate cost information to estimate bids for new projects. Availability of equipment for a particular contract is determined by our internal fleet ordering process which is designed to optimize the use of internal fleet assets and allocate equipment costs to individual contracts. We believe these processes allow us to utilize our equipment efficiently, which leads to improved gross margins. Transmission and distribution projects can require different types of equipment. A significant shift in project mix or timing could impact fleet utilization, causing gross margins to vary.
Cost of Material. On fixed-price contracts where we are required to provide materials, our overall gross margin may be affected if we experience increases in the quantity or costs of materials. Projects that include a greater amount of material cost can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material cost in our bids than what we would add to our labor and equipment cost.
Our team of trained estimators helps us to determine potential costs and revenues and make informed decisions on whether to bid for a project and, if bid, the rates to use in estimating the costs for that bid. The ability to accurately estimate labor, equipment, subcontracting and material costs in connection with a new project may affect the gross margins achieved for the project.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) consist primarily of compensation, related benefits and employee costs for management and administrative personnel, office rent and utilities, stock compensation, communications, professional fees, depreciation, IT expenses, marketing costs and bad debt expense.
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Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table sets forth selected statements of operations data and such data as a percentage of revenues for the years indicated:
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
| For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (dollars in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Contract revenues | $ | 3,008,542 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,498,289 | 100.0 | % | ||||||
| Contract costs | 2,664,580 | 88.6 | 2,173,308 | 87.0 | ||||||||||
| Gross profit | 343,962 | 11.4 | 324,981 | 13.0 | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 222,424 | 7.4 | 207,208 | 8.3 | ||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 9,009 | 0.3 | 2,311 | 0.1 | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale of property and equipment | (2,378) | (0.1) | (3,098) | (0.1) | ||||||||||
| Income from operations | 114,907 | 3.8 | 118,560 | 4.7 | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||
| Interest income | 187 | — | 70 | — | ||||||||||
| Interest expense | (3,563) | (0.1) | (1,799) | (0.1) | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense), net | 2,673 | 0.1 | (525) | — | ||||||||||
| Income before provision for income taxes | 114,204 | 3.8 | 116,306 | 4.6 | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 30,823 | 1.0 | 31,300 | 1.2 | ||||||||||
| Net income | 83,381 | 2.8 | 85,006 | 3.4 | ||||||||||
| Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest | — | — | (4) | — | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. | $ | 83,381 | 2.8 | % | $ | 85,010 | 3.4 | % |
Revenues. Revenues increased $510.2 million, or 20.4%, to $3.01 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $2.50 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to an increase in revenue on transmission projects, an increase in revenues on distribution projects, including incremental distribution revenues from the Powerline Plus Companies, and an increase in C&I revenue in certain geographical areas.
Gross margin. Gross margin decreased to 11.4% for the year ended December 31, 2022 from 13.0% for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in gross margin was primarily due to overall cost increases mainly associated with supply chain disruptions and inflation. Gross margin was also negatively impacted by labor and equipment inefficiencies, unfavorable change order adjustments and inclement weather experienced on certain projects. These margin decreases were partially offset by favorable job close outs, better-than-anticipated productivity on certain projects and favorable change order adjustments on certain projects. Changes in estimates of gross profit on certain projects resulted in a gross margin decrease of 0.4% and an increase of 0.4% for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Gross profit. Gross profit increased $19.0 million, or 5.8%, to $344.0 million for year ended December 31, 2022 from $325.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, due to higher revenues, partially offset by lower margins.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. SG&A, was $222.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $15.2 million from $207.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to the acquisition of the Powerline Plus Companies and an increase in employee-related expenses to support the growth in our operations, partially offset by a decrease in employee incentive compensation costs.
Amortization of intangible assets. Amortization of intangible assets was $9.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $2.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The period-over-period increase of $6.7 million was primarily due to amortization related to certain intangibles acquired with the Powerline Plus Companies.
Gain on sale of property and equipment. Gains from the sale of property and equipment in the year ended December 31, 2022 were $2.4 million compared to $3.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. Gains from the sale of property and equipment are attributable to routine sales of property and equipment that is no longer useful or valuable to our ongoing operations.
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Interest expense. Interest expense was $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was primarily attributable to higher outstanding debt and interest rates during the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
Other income (expense), net. Other income was $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to other expense of $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The change was largely due to funds received under the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy program, which were attributable to a C&I segment company. Other income was also positively impacted by an adjustment to contingent earn-out consideration related to the acquisition of the Powerline Plus Companies.
Income tax expense. Income tax expense was $30.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, with an effective tax rate of 27.0%, compared to $31.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, with an effective tax rate of 26.9%. The increase in the tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to adjustments associated with the prior year global intangible low tax income (“GILTI”), partially offset by a favorable impact from stock compensation excess tax benefits.
Net income. Net income decreased to $83.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $85.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease was primarily for the reasons stated above.
Segment Results
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, statements of operations data by segment, segment net sales as a percentage of total net sales and segment operating income as a percentage of segment net sales:
| For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | Amount | Percent | Amount | Percent | ||||||||||
| Contract revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 1,745,792 | 58.0 | % | $ | 1,301,587 | 52.1 | % | ||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 1,262,750 | 42.0 | 1,196,702 | 47.9 | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 3,008,542 | 100.0 | $ | 2,498,289 | 100.0 | ||||||||
| Operating income (loss): | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 138,886 | 8.0 | $ | 132,738 | 10.2 | ||||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 43,159 | 3.4 | 54,418 | 4.5 | ||||||||||
| Total | 182,045 | 6.0 | 187,156 | 7.5 | ||||||||||
| Corporate | (67,138) | (2.2) | (68,596) | (2.7) | ||||||||||
| Consolidated | $ | 114,907 | 3.8 | % | $ | 118,560 | 4.8 | % |
Transmission & Distribution
Revenues for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $1.75 billion compared to $1.30 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $444.2 million, or 34.1%. The increase in revenue was primarily related to an increase in revenue on transmission projects, and an increase in revenues on distribution projects, including incremental distribution revenues from the Powerline Plus Companies.
Operating income for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $138.9 million compared to $132.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $6.2 million, or 4.6%. The increase in T&D operating income from the prior year was primarily due to higher revenues and a favorable job close-out. These increases were partially offset by the additional $6.7 million of amortization related to certain intangibles acquired with the Powerline Plus Companies and an unfavorable change order adjustment on a project. Operating income was also negatively impacted by overall cost increases from supply chain disruptions, labor inefficiencies, inflation and inclement weather experienced on certain projects. Operating income, as a percentage of revenues, for our T&D segment decreased to 8.0% for the year ended December 31, 2022 from 10.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Commercial & Industrial
Revenues for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $1.26 billion compared to $1.20 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $66.1 million, or 5.5%, primarily due to an increase in revenue in certain geographic areas.
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Operating income for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $43.2 million compared to $54.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, a decrease of $11.2 million, or 20.7%. The year-over-year decrease in operating income was primarily due to overall cost increases mainly associated with supply chain disruptions and inflation. Operating income was also negatively impacted by labor inefficiencies on certain projects and an unfavorable change order adjustment on a project. The decrease in operating income was partially offset by better-than-anticipated productivity on various projects, favorable change order adjustments on certain projects and a favorable job close out. Operating income, as a percentage of revenues, for our C&I segment decreased to 3.4% for the year ended December 31, 2022 from 4.5% for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Corporate
The decrease in corporate expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily attributable to a decrease in employee incentive compensation costs, partially offset by an increase in employee-related expenses to support the growth in our operations.
Non-GAAP Measures
EBITDA
EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure used by management that we define as net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. plus net income from noncontrolling interests, interest expense net of interest income, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization, as shown in the following table. EBITDA does not purport to be an alternative to net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. as a measure of operating performance or to net cash flows provided by operating activities as a measure of liquidity. We believe that EBITDA is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance and cash flow because EBITDA is widely used by investors to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods, book value of assets, useful lives placed on assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired. Because not all companies define EBITDA as we do, this presentation of EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies. We use, and we believe investors benefit from, the presentation of EBITDA in evaluating our operating performance because it provides us and our investors with an additional tool to compare our operating performance on a consistent basis by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect our core operations.
Using EBITDA as a performance measure has material limitations as compared to net income, or other financial measures as defined under GAAP, as it excludes certain recurring items, which may be meaningful to investors. EBITDA excludes interest expense net of interest income; however, as we have borrowed money to finance transactions and operations, or invested available cash to generate interest income, interest expense and interest income are elements of our cost structure and can affect our ability to generate revenue and returns for our shareholders. Further, EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization; however, as we use capital and intangible assets to generate revenues, depreciation and amortization are necessary elements of our costs and ability to generate revenue. Finally, EBITDA excludes income taxes; however, as we are organized as a corporation, the payment of taxes is a necessary element of our operations. As a result of these exclusions from EBITDA, any measure that excludes interest expense net of interest income, depreciation and amortization and income taxes has material limitations as compared to net income. When using EBITDA as a performance measure, management compensates for these limitations by comparing EBITDA to net income in each period, to allow for the comparison of the performance of the underlying core operations with the overall performance of the company on a full-cost, after-tax basis. Using both EBITDA and net income to evaluate the business allows management and investors to (a) assess our relative performance against our competitors and (b) monitor our capacity to generate returns for our shareholders.
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The following table provides a reconciliation of net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. | $ | 83,381 | $ | 85,010 | $ | 58,759 | |||||
| Net loss - noncontrolling interests | — | (4) | — | ||||||||
| Net income | 83,381 | 85,006 | 58,759 | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 3,376 | 1,729 | 4,554 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 30,823 | 31,300 | 22,626 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 58,170 | 46,205 | 46,453 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 175,750 | $ | 164,240 | $ | 132,392 |
We also use EBITDA as a liquidity measure. Certain material covenants contained within our credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) are based on EBITDA with certain additional adjustments as defined in the Credit Agreement. Non-compliance with these financial covenants under the Credit Agreement — our interest coverage ratio which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and our leverage ratio, which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated Total Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement), divided by Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) — could result in our lenders requiring us to immediately repay all amounts borrowed. If we anticipated a potential covenant violation, we would seek relief from our lenders, likely causing us to incur additional cost, and such relief might not be available, or if available, might not be on terms as favorable as those in the Credit Agreement. In addition, if we cannot satisfy these financial covenants, we would be prohibited under the Credit Agreement from engaging in certain activities, such as incurring additional indebtedness, making certain payments, and acquiring or disposing of assets. Based on the information above, management believes that the presentation of EBITDA as a liquidity measure is useful to investors and relevant to their assessment of our capacity to service or incur debt, fund capital expenditures, finance acquisitions and expand our operations.
The following table provides a reconciliation of net cash flows provided by operating activities to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Net cash flows provided by operating activities | $ | 167,484 | $ | 137,228 | $ | 175,167 | |||||
| Add/(subtract) | |||||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities | (8,522) | 6,554 | (67,770) | ||||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities | (75,581) | (58,776) | (48,638) | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 58,170 | 46,205 | 46,453 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 30,823 | 31,300 | 22,626 | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 3,376 | 1,729 | 4,554 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 175,750 | $ | 164,240 | $ | 132,392 |
Working Capital
Working capital is a non-GAAP measure. We believe working capital is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance. The Company defines working capital as total current assets less total current liabilities. The following table provides the Company’s calculation of working capital:
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Total current assets | $ | 890,291 | $ | 748,390 | $ | 636,684 | |||||
| Less: total current liabilities | (666,960) | (498,599) | (443,400) | ||||||||
| Working capital | $ | 223,331 | $ | 249,791 | $ | 193,284 |
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Liquidity, Capital Resources and Material Cash Requirements
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had working capital of $223.3 million and $249.8 million, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2022, our operating activities provided cash of $167.5 million, compared to $137.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Cash flow from operations is primarily influenced by demand for our services, operating margins, timing of contract performance and the type of services we provide to our customers. The $30.3 million year-over-year increase in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to favorable net changes in operating assets and liabilities of $15.1 million, partially offset by a $1.6 million decrease in net income. The favorable change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to the favorable change of $27.0 million in prepaid expenses and other assets, partially offset by the net unfavorable changes of $16.6 million in other liabilities. The favorable change in prepaid expenses and other assets was primarily due to the timing of insurance payments and the prepayment of materials required for certain projects. The unfavorable change in other liabilities was primarily due to lower bonus and profit sharing accruals, and payments related to our deferral under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") partially offset by the timing of other employee related wage and tax payments. In addition, the net favorable year-over-year changes in various working capital accounts that relate primarily to the timing of costs incurred on work performed that does not coincide with the billing terms (accounts receivable, contract assets, accounts payable and contract liabilities) was $0.3 million.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we used net cash of $185.7 million and $49.3 million, respectively, in investing activities. The $185.7 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted of $110.7 million to acquire the Powerline Plus Companies, $77.1 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $2.0 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment. The $49.3 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted of $52.4 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $3.1 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we used cash of $9.3 million, and $28.1 million, respectively in financing activities. The $9.3 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted primarily of $37.0 million of shares repurchases under our share repurchase program, $6.8 million of shares repurchased to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs, $1.6 million of repayments of finance lease obligations and $1.0 million of net repayments under our master equipment loan agreements. These uses of cash during the year ended December 31, 2022, were partially offset by $24.2 million of borrowing under our equipment notes and $12.9 million of net borrowing under our revolving line of credit. The $28.1 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted primarily of $24.9 million of net repayments under our master equipment loan agreements, and $3.4 million of cash used to purchase shares surrendered by employees to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs.
We believe our $349.3 million borrowing availability under our revolving line of credit at December 31, 2022, future cash flow from operations and our ability to utilize short-term and long-term leases will provide sufficient liquidity for our short-tern and long-term needs. Our primary short-term liquidity needs include cash for operations, debt service requirements, capital expenditures, acquisition and joint venture opportunities. We believe we have adequate sources of liquidity to meet our long-term liquidity needs and foreseeable material cash requirements, including those associated with funding future acquisition opportunities. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I markets and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity.
We have not historically paid dividends and currently do not expect to pay dividends.
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Debt Instruments
Credit Agreement
On September 13, 2019, we entered into a five-year amended and restated credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of banks led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A. The Credit Agreement provides for a facility of $375 million (the “Facility”), subject to certain financial covenants as defined in the Credit Agreement, that may be used for revolving loans of which $150 million may be used for letters of credit. The Facility also allows for revolving loans and letters of credit in Canadian dollars and other currencies, up to the U.S. dollar equivalent of $75 million. We have an expansion option to increase the commitments under the Facility or enter into incremental term loans, subject to certain conditions, by up to an additional $200 million upon receipt of additional commitments from new or existing lenders. Subject to certain exceptions, the Facility is secured by substantially all of our assets and the assets of our domestic subsidiaries and by a pledge of substantially all of the capital stock of our domestic subsidiaries and 65% of the capital stock of our direct foreign subsidiaries. Additionally, subject to certain exceptions, our domestic subsidiaries also guarantee the repayment of all amounts due under the Credit Agreement. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Credit Agreement, amounts outstanding under the Facility may be accelerated and may become or be declared immediately due and payable. Borrowings under the Facility are used for refinancing existing debt, working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes.
Amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at our option, at a rate equal to either (1) the Alternate Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.00% to 0.75%; or (2) Adjusted LIBO Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.00% to 1.75%. Once LIBOR is no longer available, we will amend the Credit Agreement to transition from LIBOR to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) or will elect the Alternate Base Rate. The applicable margin is determined based on our consolidated leverage ratio (“Leverage Ratio”) which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated Total Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement). Letters of credit issued under the Facility are subject to a letter of credit fee of 1.00% to 1.75% for non-performance letters of credit or 0.50% to 0.875% for performance letters of credit, based on our consolidated Leverage Ratio. We are subject to a commitment fee of 0.15% to 0.25%, based on our consolidated Leverage Ratio, on any unused portion of the Facility. The Credit Agreement restricts certain types of payments when our consolidated Leverage Ratio exceeds 2.50 or our consolidated Liquidity (as defined in the Credit Agreement) is less than $50 million.
Under the Credit Agreement, we are subject to certain financial covenants and are limited to a maximum consolidated Leverage Ratio of 3.0 and a minimum interest coverage ratio of 3.0. The minimum interest coverage ratio is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement). The Credit Agreement also contains a number of covenants, including limitations on asset sales, investments, indebtedness and liens. We were in compliance with all of the financial covenants under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2022.
As of December 31, 2022 we had $12.9 million debt outstanding under the Facility. We had no debt outstanding under the Facility as of December 31, 2021.
Letters of Credit
Some of our vendors require letters of credit to ensure reimbursement for amounts they are disbursing on our behalf, such as to beneficiaries under our insurance programs. In addition, from time to time certain customers require us to post letters of credit to ensure payment to our subcontractors and vendors and guarantee performance under our contracts. Such letters of credit are generally issued by a bank or similar financial institution typically pursuant to our senior credit facility. Each letter of credit commits the issuer to pay specified amounts to the holder of the letter of credit if the holder claims that we have failed to perform specified actions. If this were to occur, we would be required to reimburse the issuer of the letter of credit. Depending on the circumstances of such a reimbursement, we may also have to record a charge to earnings for the reimbursement.
As of December 31, 2022, and 2021 we had $12.8 million and $12.3 million, respectively, in nonperformance letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement which were almost entirely related to the Company's payment obligation under its insurance programs. These are irrevocable, standby letters of credit with maturities expiring at various times throughout 2023. We expect to renew the letters of credit related to the insurance programs for subsequent one-year periods upon their maturity. We are not aware of any claims currently asserted or threatened under any of these letters of credit that are material, individually or in the aggregate. However, to the extent payment is required for any of such claims, the amount paid could be material and could adversely affect cash flows.
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Equipment Notes
We have entered into multiple Master Loan Agreements with multiple banks. The Master Loan Agreements may be used for financing of equipment between us and the lenders pursuant to one or more equipment notes (“Equipment Notes”). Each Equipment Note constitutes a separate, distinct and independent financing of equipment and contractual obligation.
As of December 31, 2022, we had two outstanding Equipment Notes collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. As of December 31, 2022, we also had one other equipment note outstanding collateralized by a vehicle owned by us. The outstanding balance of all Equipment Notes was $27.6 million as of December 31, 2022, of which $5.1 million was due in the next twelve months. As of December 31, 2021, we had one outstanding Equipment Note collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. The outstanding balance of these Equipment Notes was $4.5 million as of December 31, 2021, of which $1.0 million was due in the next twelve months.
Lease Obligations
From time to time, the Company enters into non-cancelable leases for some of our facility, vehicle and equipment needs. These leases allow the Company to conserve cash by paying a monthly lease rental fee for the use of facilities, vehicles and equipment rather than purchasing them. The Company’s leases have remaining terms ranging from one to seven years, some of which may include options to extend the leases for up to five years, and some of which may include options to terminate the leases within one year. Typically, the Company has purchase options on the equipment underlying its long-term leases and many of its short-term rental arrangements. The Company may exercise some of these purchase options when the need for equipment is ongoing and the purchase option price is attractive.
The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $30.5 million as of December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $9.7 million and $20.8 million, respectively. The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $21.0 million as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $7.8 million and $13.2 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2022, we had $3.4 million outstanding finance lease obligations, consisting of short-term and long-term finance lease obligations of approximately $1.1 million and $2.3 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, we had no outstanding finance lease obligations.
Purchase Commitments for Construction Equipment
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $14.1 million in outstanding purchase obligations for certain construction equipment to be paid with cash outlays scheduled to occur over the first four months of 2023.
Performance and Payment Bonds and Parent Guarantees
Many customers, particularly in connection with new construction, require us to post performance and payment bonds issued by a financial institution known as a surety. These bonds provide a guarantee to the customer that we will perform under the terms of a contract and that we will pay subcontractors and vendors. If we fail to perform under a contract or to pay subcontractors and vendors, the customer may demand that the surety make payments or provide services under the bond. We must reimburse our sureties for any expenses or outlays they incur. Under our continuing indemnity and security agreements with our sureties, with the consent of our lenders under the Credit Agreement, we have granted security interests in certain of our assets to collateralize our obligations to the surety. We may be required to post letters of credit or other collateral in favor of the surety or our customers. Posting letters of credit in favor of the surety or our customers reduces the borrowing availability under the Credit Agreement. To date, we have not been required to make any reimbursements to any of our sureties for bond-related costs. We believe that it is unlikely that we will have to fund significant claims under our surety arrangements. As of December 31, 2022, an aggregate of approximately $1.97 billion in original face amount of bonds issued by our sureties were outstanding. Our estimated remaining cost to complete these bonded projects was approximately $880.2 million as of December 31, 2022.
From time to time we guarantee the obligations of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, including obligations under certain contracts with customers, certain lease agreements, and, in some states, obligations in connection with obtaining contractors’ licenses. Additionally, from time to time we are required to post letters of credit to guarantee the obligations of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, which reduces the borrowing availability under our credit facility.
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Concentration of Credit Risk
We grant trade credit under contractual payment terms, generally without collateral, to our customers, which include high credit quality electric utilities, governmental entities, general contractors and builders, owners and managers of commercial and industrial properties. Consequently, we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and economic factors. However, we generally have certain statutory lien rights with respect to services provided. Under certain circumstances such as foreclosures or negotiated settlements, we may take title to the underlying assets in lieu of cash in settlement of receivables. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, none of our customers individually exceeded 10.0% of our accounts receivable.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1 — Organization, Business and Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to our Financial Statements.
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities known to exist at the date of the Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates. We believe the following accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Financial Statements:
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer-controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we estimate profit by determining the difference between total estimated revenue and total estimated cost of a contract. In addition, we estimate a cost accrual every quarter that represents unbilled invoicing activity for services performed by subcontractors and suppliers during the quarter, and estimate revenue from the contract cost portion of this accrual based on current gross margin rates to be consistent with our cost method of revenue recognition. The estimated value of unbilled amounts are determined using a regression analysis that estimates value based on our historical experience, and is adjusted for large individual projects. The profit and corresponding revenue is recognized over the contract term based on costs incurred under the cost-to-cost method. We utilized the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. For purposes of recognizing revenue, we follow the five-step approach outlined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606-10-25.
As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Because our billings are based on contract terms and do not coincide with our progress in a project, revenue recognition also includes an amount related to our contract asset or contract liability. If the recognized revenue is greater than the amount billed to the customer, a contract asset is recorded. Additionally, the contract asset includes retainage billed to the customer that cannot be collected until the contract work has been completed and approved. Conversely, if the amount billed to the customer is greater than the recognized revenue, a contract liability is recorded. Additionally, the contract liability includes a liability for the excess of costs over revenues for all contracts that are in a loss position.
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Contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition. Additionally, we estimate costs to complete on fixed price contracts which are determined on an individual contract basis by evaluating each project’s status as of the balance sheet date, and using our historical experience with the level of effort required to complete the underlying project. Claims and change orders are also measured based on our historical experience with individual customers and similar contracts, and are evaluated by management individually. A change order is a modification to a contract that changes the provisions of the contract, typically resulting from changes in scope, specifications, design, manner of performance, facilities, equipment, materials, sites, or period of completion of the work under the contract. A claim is an amount in excess of the agreed-upon contract price that we seek to collect from our clients or others for client-caused delays, errors in specifications and designs, contract terminations, change orders that are either in dispute or are unapproved as to both scope and price, or other causes. We include these estimated amounts of variable consideration to the extent that it is probable there will not be a significant reversal of revenue. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recognized revenues of $19.6 million and $2.4 million, respectively, related to significant change orders and/or claims that had been included as contract price adjustments on certain contracts, some of which are multi-year projects.
Some of our contracts may have contract terms that include variable consideration such as safety or performance bonuses or liquidated damages. In accordance with ASC 606-10-32, we estimate the variable consideration using one of two methods. In contracts in which there is a binary outcome, the most likely amount method is used. In instances in which there is a range of possible outcomes, the expected value method is used. In accordance with ASC 606-10-32-11, we include the estimated amount of variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative recognized revenue will not occur when the final outcome of the variable consideration is determined. In contracts in which a significant reversal may occur, we use constraint in recognizing revenue on variable consideration. Although we often enter into contracts that contain liquidated damage clauses, we rarely incur them, and as such, we do not include amounts associated with liquidated damage clauses until it is probable that liquidated damages will occur. These items are continually monitored by multiple levels of management throughout the reporting period.
A portion of the work we perform requires financial assurances in the form of performance and payment bonds or letters of credit at the time of execution of the contract. Many of our contracts include retention provisions of up to 10%, which are generally withheld from each progress payment as retainage until the contract work has been completed and approved.
The accuracy of our revenue and profit recognition in a given period is dependent on the accuracy of our estimates of the cost to complete each project. Cost estimates for all of our significant projects use a detailed “bottoms up” approach and we believe our experience typically allows us to provide materially reliable estimates. There are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in estimates of contract cost and profitability. The most significant of these include, among others:
•the completeness and accuracy of the original bid;
•costs associated with scope changes, change orders or claims;
•costs of labor and/or materials;
•extended overhead due to owner, weather and other delays;
•subcontractor performance issues;
•changes in productivity expectations;
•site conditions that differ from those assumed in the original bid (to the extent contract remedies are unavailable);
•the availability and skill level of workers in the geographic location of the project; and
•a change in the availability and proximity of equipment and materials.
The foregoing factors as well as the stage of completion of contracts in process and the mix of contracts at different margins may cause fluctuations in gross profit between periods. During the year ended December 31, 2022, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 0.4%. During the year ended December 31, 2021, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects increased consolidated gross margin by 0.4%. During the year ended December 31, 2020, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 0.8%.
We provide warranties to customers on a basis customary to the industry; however, the warranty period does not typically exceed one year. Historically, warranty claims have not been material.
Total revenues do not include sales tax as we consider ourselves a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales taxes. Sales tax and value added tax collected from customers is included in other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
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Insurance. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to certain deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Our deductible for each line of coverage is up to $1.0 million, except for wildfire coverage which has a deductible of $2.0 million. Certain health benefit plans are subject to stop-loss limits of up to $0.2 million, for qualified individuals. Losses up to the deductible and stop-loss amounts are accrued based upon our estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
The insurance and claims accruals are based on known facts, actuarial estimates and historical trends. While recorded accruals are based on the ultimate liability, which includes amounts in excess of the deductible, a corresponding receivable for amounts in excess of the deductible is included in current assets on our consolidated balance sheets.
Stock-Based Compensation. We determine compensation expense for stock-based awards based on the estimated fair values at the grant date and recognize the related compensation expense ratably over the vesting period. We use the straight-line amortization method to recognize compensation expense related to stock-based awards, such as restricted stock and restricted stock units, that have only service conditions. This method recognizes stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards that vest based on internal performance metrics and service conditions on a straight-line basis over the service period, but adjust inception-to-date expense based upon our determination of the expected achievement of the performance target at each reporting date which may vary from zero to 200% of the target performance awards. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards with market-based performance metrics on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. We recognize forfeitures as they occur. Shares issued under the Company’s stock-based compensation program are taken out of authorized but unissued shares.
Goodwill and Intangibles. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. We perform either a qualitative or quantitative assessment to review goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment on an annual basis. This assessment is performed at the beginning of the fourth quarter, or when circumstances change, such as a significant adverse change in the business climate or the decision to sell a business, both of which would indicate that impairment may have occurred. Intangible assets with finite lives are also reviewed for impairment and tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
A qualitative assessment considers financial, industry, segment and macroeconomic factors, if the qualitative assessment indicates a potential for impairment, a quantitative assessment is performed to determine if impairment exists. The quantitative assessment begins with a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit or intangible asset with its carrying value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit or intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss would be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit or intangible asset. If the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite lived assets exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment charge would be recorded in the statement of operations.
As a result of the annual qualitative review process in 2022 and 2020, we determined it was not necessary to perform a qualitative assessment. In 2021, we performed a quantitative assessment on our goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives, this assessment did not indicate that our goodwill or indefinite lived intangible assets were impaired.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We do not generally charge interest to our customers, and we carry our customer receivables at their face amounts, less an allowance for doubtful accounts. Based on our experience in recent years, the majority of customer balances at each balance sheet date are collected within twelve months. As is common practice in the industry, we classify all accounts receivable as current assets. The allowance for doubtful accounts associated with account receivables was $2.1 million as of December 31, 2022 and $2.4 million as of December 31, 2021.
We grant trade credit, on a non-collateralized basis (with the exception of lien rights against the property in certain cases) to our customers, and we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and overall economic activity. We analyze specific accounts receivable balances, historical bad debts, customer credit-worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In the event that a customer balance is deemed to be uncollectible the account balance is written-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts.
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FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000700923-22-000007.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This management’s discussion and analysis provides a narrative on the Company’s financial performance and condition that should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this report, including the Financial Statements and related notes contained in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.” We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Presentation of Information
The discussion that follows includes a comparison of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021. For a discussion of changes from the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 (filed March 3, 2021).
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Overview-Introduction
We are a holding company of specialty electrical construction service providers that was established in 1995 through the merger of long-standing specialty contractors. Through our subsidiaries, we serve the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets. We manage and report our operations through two electrical contracting service segments: Transmission and Distribution (“T&D”) and Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”).
We have operated in the transmission and distribution industry since 1891. We are one of the largest U.S. contractors servicing the T&D sector of the electric utility industry and provide T&D services throughout the United States and in Ontario, Canada. Our T&D customers include many of the leading companies in the electric utility industry. We have provided electrical contracting services for commercial and industrial construction since 1912. Our C&I segment provides services in the United States and in western Canada. Our C&I customers include facility owners and general contractors.
We believe that we have a number of competitive advantages in both of our segments, including our skilled workforce, extensive centralized fleet, proven safety performance and reputation for timely completion of quality work that allows us to compete favorably in our markets. In addition, we believe that we are better capitalized than some of our competitors, which provides us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and more complex projects.
We had revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $2.50 billion compared to $2.25 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2021, net income was $85.0 million compared to $58.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Overview-Segments
Transmission and Distribution segment. Our T&D segment provides comprehensive solutions to customers in the electric utility industry. Our T&D segment generally serves the electric utility industry as a prime contractor to customers such as investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, private developers, government-funded utilities, independent power producers, independent transmission companies, industrial facility owners and other contractors. We have long-standing relationships with many of our T&D customers who rely on us to construct and maintain reliable electric and other utility infrastructure. Our T&D segment provides a broad range of services on electric transmission and distribution networks and substation facilities, which include design, engineering, procurement, construction, upgrade, maintenance and repair services, with a particular focus on construction, maintenance and repair. Our T&D services include the construction and maintenance of high voltage transmission lines, substations, lower voltage underground and overhead distribution systems, renewable power facilities and limited gas construction services. We also provide many services to our customers under multi-year master service agreements (“MSAs”) and other variable-term service agreements.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, our T&D revenues were $1.30 billion, or 52.1%, of our revenue, compared to $1.15 billion, or 51.4%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 and $1.13 billion, or 54.8%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019. Revenues from transmission projects represented 62.0%, 64.6%, and 68.1% of T&D segment revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Our T&D segment also provides restoration services in response to hurricanes, ice storms or other storm related events, which accounted for less than 5% of our annual revenues in 2021, 2020 and 2019.
Measured by revenues in our T&D segment, we provided 43.0%, 44.0% and 49.7% of our T&D services under fixed-price contracts during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We also provide many services to our customers under multi-year maintenance service agreements and other variable service agreements.
Commercial and Industrial segment. Our C&I segment provides a wide range of services including design, installation, maintenance and repair of commercial and industrial wiring, the installation of traffic networks and the installation of bridge, roadway and tunnel lighting. In our C&I segment, we generally provide our electric construction and maintenance services as a subcontractor to general contractors in the C&I industry as well as directly to facility owners. We have a diverse customer base with many long-standing relationships. We concentrate our efforts on projects where our technical and project management expertise are critical to successful and timely execution. The majority of C&I contracts cover electrical contracting services for airports, hospitals, data centers, hotels, stadiums, convention centers, renewable energy projects, manufacturing plants, processing facilities, water treatment facilities, mining facilities and transportation control and management systems.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, our C&I revenues were $1.20 billion, or 47.9%, of our revenue, compared to $1.09 billion, or 48.6%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 and $936.7 million, or 45.2%, of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019.
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Measured by revenues in our C&I segment, we provided 80.5%, 82.7% and 74.8% of our services under fixed-price contracts for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Overview-Revenue and Gross Margins
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we utilized the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Additionally, contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition.
Gross Margins. Our gross margin can vary between periods as a result of many factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include: the mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve, the size and duration of our projects, the mix of business conducted in different parts of the United States and Canada, the mix in service and maintenance work compared to new construction work, the amount of work that we subcontract, the amount of material we supply, changes in labor, equipment or insurance costs, seasonal weather patterns, changes in fleet utilization, pricing pressures due to competition, efficiency of work performance, fluctuations in commodity prices of materials, delays in the timing of projects and other factors. The gross margins we record in the current period may not be indicative of margins in future periods.
Overview-Economic, Industry and Market Factors
We operate in competitive markets, which can result in pricing pressures for the services we provide. Work is often awarded through a bidding and selection process, where price is always a principal factor. We generally focus on managing our profitability by: selecting projects that we believe will provide attractive margins; actively monitoring the costs of completing our projects; holding customers accountable for costs related to changes to contract specifications and rewarding our employees for controlling costs.
The demand for construction and maintenance services from our customers has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to downturns in the markets we serve as well as the economy in general. The financial condition of our customers and their access to capital, variations in the margins of projects performed during any particular period, and regional and national economic conditions in the United States and Canada may materially affect results. Project schedules, particularly in connection with larger, multi-year projects, can also create fluctuations in our revenues. Other market and industry factors, such as changes to our customers’ capital spending plans or delays in regulatory approvals can affect project schedules. Changes in technology, tax and other incentives and new or changing regulatory requirements affecting the industries we serve can impact demand for our services. Additionally, continued economic slowdowns related to the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic could have a significant impact on our business. While we actively monitor economic, industry and market factors affecting our business, we cannot predict the impact such factors may have on our future results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. As a result of economic, industry and market factors, our operating results in any particular period or year may not be indicative of the results that can be expected for any other period or for any other year.
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Overview-Seasonality and Nature of Our Work Environment
Although our revenues are primarily driven by spending patterns in our customers’ industries, our revenues and results of operations, particularly those derived from our T&D segment, can be subject to seasonal variations. These variations are influenced by weather, daylight hours, availability of system outages from utilities, and holidays. During the winter months, demand for our T&D work may be high, but our work can be delayed due to inclement weather. During the summer months, the demand for our T&D work may be affected by fewer available system outages, due to peak electrical demands caused by warmer weather, which limits our ability to perform electrical line service work. During the spring and fall months, the demand for our T&D work may increase due to improved weather conditions and system availability; however, extended periods of rain and other severe weather can affect the deployment of our crews and efficiency of operations. Furthermore, our work is performed under a variety of conditions in different locations, including but not limited to, difficult terrain, sites which may have been exposed to harsh and hazardous conditions, and in large urban centers where delivery of materials and availability of labor may be impacted.
We also provide storm restoration services to our T&D customers. These services tend to have a higher profit margin. However, storm restoration service work that is performed under an MSA typically has similar rates to other work under the agreement. In addition, deploying employees on storm restoration work may, at times, delay work on other transmission and distribution work. Storm restoration service work is unpredictable and can affect results of operations.
Outlook
Our business is directly impacted by the level of spending on T&D infrastructure and the level of C&I electrical construction activity across the United States and Canada. We are optimistic about infrastructure spending and believe that industry activity will continue in both our transmission and distribution market segments and the drivers for utility investment will remain intact. We believe that regulatory reform, state renewable portfolio standards, the aging of the electric grid, and potential overall improvement of the economy will positively impact the level of spending by our customers in all of the markets we serve. Although competition remains strong, we see these trends as positive factors for us in the future.
We believe proposed legislative actions aimed at supporting infrastructure improvements in the United States may positively impact long-term demand, particularly in connection with electric power infrastructure, transportation and renewable energy spending. We believe the proposed legislative actions are likely to provide greater long-term opportunity in both of our reporting segments. However both of our segments and supporting operations may be subject to delays and pricing volatility due to the continued market disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and regulatory slowdowns. These delays and pricing volatility could result in decelerations in project opportunities and awards.
We believe there is an ongoing need for utilities to sustain investment in their transmission systems to improve reliability, reduce congestion and connect to new sources of renewable generation. Consequently, we believe we will continue to see significant bidding activity on large transmission projects going forward. The timing of multi-year transmission project awards and substantial construction activity is difficult to predict due to regulatory requirements and the permitting needed to commence construction. Significant construction on any large, multi-year projects awarded in 2022 will likely not begin until 2023. Bidding and construction activity for small to medium-size transmission projects and upgrades remain active, and we expect this trend to continue, primarily due to reliability and economic drivers.
As a result of reduced spending by United States utilities on their distribution systems for several years, we believe there is a need for sustained investment by utilities on their distribution systems to properly maintain or meet reliability requirements. In 2021, we continued to see increased bidding activity in some of our electric distribution markets, as economic conditions improved in those areas. We believe the increased hurricane activity and destruction caused by wildfires will cause a push to strengthen utility distribution systems against catastrophic damage. Several industry and market trends are also prompting customers in the electric utility industry to seek outsourcing partners rather than performing projects internally. These trends include an aging electric utility workforce, increasing costs and staffing constraints. We believe electric utility employee retirements could increase with further economic recovery, which may result in an increase in outsourcing opportunities. We expect to see an incremental increase in distribution opportunities in the United States and in Ontario, Canada in 2022.
We expect C&I bidding opportunities to continue to be impacted by various recent market disruptions, and as a result the ultimate recovery of the C&I market will be heavily dependent on the timing and pace of the United States and Canada economic recoveries. We believe that the primary markets we serve may be somewhat less vulnerable to economic slowing, such as health care, transportation, data centers, warehousing, renewable energy and water projects. We are hopeful that the service industry and small project market could quickly rebound as pent-up demand will need to be addressed.
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In addition, the United States has experienced a decade of economic expansion which has challenged the capacity of public water and transportation infrastructure forcing states and municipalities to seek creative means to fund needed expansion. We believe the need for expanding public infrastructure will offer opportunity in our C&I segment for several years. We expect the long-term growth in our C&I segment to generally track the economic growth of the regions we serve.
We strive to maintain our status as a preferred provider to our T&D and C&I customers. In an effort to support our growth strategy and maximize stockholder returns, we seek to efficiently manage our capital. Through 2021, we continued to implement strategies that further expand our capabilities and effectively allocate capital. On January 4, 2022, we acquired all issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Powerline Plus Ltd. and its affiliate (collectively, the “Powerline Plus Companies"), which expanded our distribution operations in Canada. On July 15, 2019, we completed the acquisition of substantially all the assets of CSI Electrical Contractors, Inc. (“CSI”), which expanded our C&I operations in California. Additionally, we ended 2021 with $362.7 million available under our credit facility.
We continue to manage our increasing costs for supporting our operations, including increasing insurance, equipment, labor and material costs. We believe that our financial position, positive cash flows and other operational strengths will enable us to manage the challenges and uncertainties in the markets we serve and give us the flexibility to successfully execute our strategies. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I markets and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity. In 2021 and 2020, we invested in capital expenditures of approximately $52.4 million and $44.4 million, respectively. Most of our capital expenditures supported opportunities in our T&D business. We plan to continue to evaluate our needs for additional equipment and tooling.
Understanding Backlog
We define backlog as our estimated revenue on uncompleted contracts, including the amount of revenue on contracts for which work has not begun, less the revenue we have recognized under such contracts. Backlog may not accurately represent the revenues that we expect to realize during any particular period. Several factors, such as the timing of contract awards, the type and duration of contracts, and the mix of subcontractor and material costs in our projects, can impact our backlog at any point in time. Some of our revenue does not appear in our periodic backlog reporting because the award of the project, as well as the execution of the work, can all take place within the period. For many of our unit-price, time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts, we only include projected revenue for a three-month period in the calculation of backlog, although these types of contracts are generally awarded as part of MSAs that typically have a one- to three-year duration from execution. Additionally, the difference between our backlog and remaining performance obligations is due to the exclusion of a portion of our MSAs under certain contract types from our remaining performance obligations as these contracts can be canceled for convenience at any time by us or the customer without considerable cost incurred by the customer. Our backlog includes projects that have a written award, a letter of intent, a notice to proceed or an agreed upon work order to perform work on mutually accepted terms and conditions. Our estimated backlog also includes our proportionate share of our unconsolidated joint venture contracts.
Changes in backlog from period to period are primarily the result of fluctuations in the timing of awards and revenue recognition of contracts. Backlog should not be relied upon as a stand-alone indicator of future events.
Understanding Gross Margins
Our gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenues. Gross profit is calculated by subtracting contract costs from revenue. Contract costs consist primarily of salaries, wages and benefits to employees, depreciation, fuel and other equipment expenses, equipment rentals, subcontracted services, insurance, facilities expenses, materials and parts and supplies. Various factors affect our gross margins on a quarterly or annual basis, including those listed below.
Performance Risk. Margins may fluctuate because of the volume of work and the impacts of pricing and job productivity, which can be impacted both favorably and negatively by customer decisions and crew productivity, as well as other factors. When comparing a service contract between periods, factors affecting the gross margins associated with the revenues generated by the contract may include pricing under the contract, the volume of work performed under the contract, the mix of the type of work specifically being performed, the availability of labor resources at expected labor rates and the productivity of the crews performing the work. Productivity can be influenced by many factors including the experience level of the crew, whether the work is on an open or encumbered right of way, weather conditions, geographical conditions, trade stacking, performance of other sub-trades, schedule changes, effects of environmental restrictions, equipment availability and regulatory and permitting delays.
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Revenue Mix and Contract Terms. The mix of revenue derived from the industries we serve will impact gross margins. Changes in our customers’ spending patterns in each of the industries we serve can cause an imbalance in supply and demand and, therefore, affect margins and mix of revenue by industry served. Storm restoration services typically command higher profit margins than other maintenance services. Seasonal and weather factors, as noted below, can impact the timing at which customers perform maintenance and repairs, which can cause a shift in the revenue mix. Some of our time-and-equipment, time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts include shared savings clauses, in which the contract includes a target price and we agree to share savings from that target price with our customer. Additionally, new construction work has a higher gross margin than maintenance and repair work. New construction work is often obtained on a fixed-price basis, which carries a higher risk than other types of pricing arrangements because a contractor can bear the risk of increased expenses. As such, we generally bid fixed-price contracts with higher profit margins. We typically derive approximately 25% to 45% of our revenue from maintenance and repair work that is performed under pre-established or negotiated prices or cost-plus pricing arrangements which generally allow us a set margin above our costs. Thus, the mix between new construction work, at fixed-price, and maintenance and repair work, at cost-plus, in a given period will impact gross margin in that period. The timing of accounting recognition of such savings can impact our margins. In addition, change orders and claims can impact our margins. Costs related to change orders and claims are recognized in contract costs when incurred, but revenue related to change orders is only recognized when it is probable that the change order will result in an addition to contract value and can be reliably estimated, whereas revenue related to claims is recognized only to the extent that contract costs related to the claim have been incurred and when it is probable that the claim will result in an addition to contract value which can be reliably estimated. Generally, no profit is recognized on a claim until final settlement occurs.
Seasonal, Weather and Geographical. Seasonal patterns, primarily related to weather conditions and the availability of system outages, can have a significant impact on gross margins in a given period. It is typical during the winter months that parts of the country may experience snow or rainfall, which can affect our crews’ ability to work efficiently. Additionally, our T&D customers often cannot remove their T&D lines from service during the summer months, when consumer demand for electricity is at its peak, delaying maintenance and repair services. In both cases, projects may be delayed or temporarily placed on hold. Conversely, in periods when weather remains dry and temperatures are moderate, more work can be done, sometimes with less cost, which would have a favorable impact on gross margins. The mix of business conducted in different parts of the country could also affect margins, as some parts of the country offer the opportunity for higher margins than others due to the geographic characteristics associated with the location where the work is being performed. Such characteristics include whether the project is performed in an urban versus a rural setting; in a mountainous area or in open terrain; or in normal soil conditions or rocky terrain. Site conditions, including unforeseen underground conditions, can also impact margins.
Depreciation and Amortization. We include depreciation on equipment and finance lease amortization in contract costs. This is common practice in our industry, but can make comparability to other companies difficult. We spend a significant amount of capital on property, facilities and equipment, with the majority of such expenditures being used to purchase additional specialized equipment to enhance our fleet and to reduce our reliance on lease arrangements and short term equipment rentals. We believe the investment in specialized equipment helps to reduce our costs, improve our margins and provide us with valuable flexibility to take on additional and complex projects.
Material and Subcontract Costs. Projects that include a greater amount of material or subcontractor costs can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material and subcontractor costs in our bids than what we would to our labor and equipment cost. In addition, successful completion of our contracts may depend on whether our subcontractors successfully fulfill their contractual obligations. If our subcontractors fail to satisfactorily perform their contractual obligations as a result of financial or other difficulties, we may be required to incur additional costs and provide additional services in order to make up such shortfalls. Additionally, we are required to allocate more working capital to projects when we are required to provide materials.
Insurance. Gross margins could be impacted by fluctuations in insurance accruals related to our deductibles and loss history in the period in which such adjustments are made. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to high deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Losses up to the deductible amounts are accrued based upon estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
Fleet Availability, Cost, Utilization, Estimation, and Bidding. We operate a centrally-managed fleet in the United States in an effort to control rising costs and achieve efficient equipment utilization. We also develop internal equipment rates which provide our business units with appropriate cost information to estimate bids for new projects. Availability of equipment for a particular contract is determined by our internal fleet ordering process which is designed to optimize the use of internal fleet assets and allocate equipment costs to individual contracts. We believe these processes allow us to utilize our equipment efficiently, which leads to improved gross margins. Transmission and distribution projects can require different types of equipment. A significant shift in project mix or timing could impact fleet utilization, causing gross margins to vary.
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Cost of Material. On fixed-price contracts where we are required to provide materials, our overall gross margin may be affected if we experience increases in the quantity or costs of materials. Projects that include a greater amount of material cost can experience lower overall project gross margins as we typically add a lower mark-up to material cost in our bids than what we would add to our labor and equipment cost.
Our team of trained estimators helps us to determine potential costs and revenues and make informed decisions on whether to bid for a project and, if bid, the rates to use in estimating the costs for that bid. The ability to accurately estimate labor, equipment, subcontracting and material costs in connection with a new project may affect the gross margins achieved for the project.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) consist primarily of compensation, related benefits and employee costs for management and administrative personnel, office rent and utilities, stock compensation, communications, professional fees, depreciation, IT expenses, marketing costs and bad debt expense.
Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table sets forth selected statements of operations data and such data as a percentage of revenues for the years indicated:
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
| For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (dollars in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||
| Contract revenues | $ | 2,498,289 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,247,392 | 100.0 | % | ||||||
| Contract costs | 2,173,308 | 87.0 | 1,971,539 | 87.7 | ||||||||||
| Gross profit | 324,981 | 13.0 | 275,853 | 12.3 | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 207,208 | 8.3 | 188,535 | 8.4 | ||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 2,311 | 0.1 | 3,586 | 0.2 | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale of property and equipment | (3,098) | (0.1) | (2,813) | (0.1) | ||||||||||
| Income from operations | 118,560 | 4.7 | 86,545 | 3.8 | ||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||
| Interest income | 70 | — | 9 | — | ||||||||||
| Interest expense | (1,799) | (0.1) | (4,563) | (0.2) | ||||||||||
| Other expense, net | (525) | — | (606) | — | ||||||||||
| Income before provision for income taxes | 116,306 | 4.6 | 81,385 | 3.6 | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 31,300 | 1.2 | 22,626 | 1.0 | ||||||||||
| Net income | 85,006 | 3.4 | 58,759 | 2.6 | ||||||||||
| Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest | (4) | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. | $ | 85,010 | 3.4 | % | $ | 58,759 | 2.6 | % |
Revenues. Revenues increased $250.9 million, or 11.2%, to $2.50 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021 from $2.25 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in revenue on various-sized C&I projects in certain geographic areas and an increase in revenue on distribution projects and large-sized T&D projects. Additionally, revenues during the year ended December 31, 2020 were negatively impacted by a slight slowdown of C&I work in certain geographic areas related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gross margin. Gross margin increased to 13.0% for the year ended December 31, 2021 from 12.3% for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in gross margin was primarily due to better-than-anticipated productivity on certain projects, favorable job close-outs and favorable change order adjustments on certain projects. These improvements were partially offset by labor and equipment inefficiencies on certain projects and unfavorable change order adjustments on certain projects. Changes in estimates of gross profit on certain projects resulted in a gross margin increase of 0.4% and a decrease of 0.8% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Gross profit. Gross profit increased $49.1 million, or 17.8%, to $325.0 million for year ended December 31, 2021 from $275.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, due to higher revenues and margins.
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Selling, general and administrative expenses. SG&A, was $207.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $18.7 million from $188.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to higher employee incentive compensation costs, contingent compensation expense related to prior acquisitions and an increase in employee-related expenses to support the growth in our operations.
Gain on sale of property and equipment. Gains from the sale of property and equipment in the year ended December 31, 2021 were $3.1 million compared to $2.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. Gains from the sale of property and equipment are attributable to routine sales of property and equipment no longer useful or valuable to our ongoing operations.
Interest expense. Interest expense was $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in our outstanding debt during the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
Income tax expense. Income tax expense was $31.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, with an effective tax rate of 26.9%, compared to $22.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, with an effective tax rate of 27.8%. The decrease in the tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to the impact of the global intangible low tax income (“GILTI”) during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Net income. Net income increased to $85.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 from $58.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily for the reasons stated above.
Segment Results
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, statements of operations data by segment, segment net sales as a percentage of total net sales and segment operating income as a percentage of segment net sales:
| For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | Amount | Percent | Amount | Percent | ||||||||||
| Contract revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 1,301,587 | 52.1 | % | $ | 1,154,378 | 51.4 | % | ||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 1,196,702 | 47.9 | 1,093,014 | 48.6 | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 2,498,289 | 100.0 | $ | 2,247,392 | 100.0 | ||||||||
| Operating income (loss): | ||||||||||||||
| Transmission & Distribution | $ | 132,738 | 10.2 | $ | 109,387 | 9.5 | ||||||||
| Commercial & Industrial | 54,418 | 4.5 | 37,247 | 3.4 | ||||||||||
| Total | 187,156 | 7.5 | 146,634 | 6.5 | ||||||||||
| Corporate | (68,596) | (2.7) | (60,089) | (2.7) | ||||||||||
| Consolidated | $ | 118,560 | 4.8 | % | $ | 86,545 | 3.8 | % |
Transmission & Distribution
Revenues for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1.30 billion compared to $1.15 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $147.2 million, or 12.8%. The increase in revenue was primarily related to an increase in revenue on distribution projects and large-sized projects.
Operating income for our T&D segment for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $132.7 million compared to $109.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $23.3 million, or 21.3%. The increase in T&D operating income from the prior year was primarily due to higher revenues, favorable job close-outs, better-than-anticipated productivity on certain projects and a favorable change order on a project, partially offset by labor and equipment inefficiencies. Operating income, as a percentage of revenues, for our T&D segment increased to 10.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021 from 9.5% for the year ended December 31, 2020.
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Commercial & Industrial
Revenues for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1.20 billion compared to $1.09 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $103.7 million, or 9.5%, primarily due to an increase in revenue on various-sized projects in certain geographic areas. Additionally, revenues during the year ended December 31, 2020 were negatively impacted by a slight slowdown of work in certain geographic areas related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Operating income for our C&I segment for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $54.4 million compared to $37.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $17.2 million, or 46.1%. The year-over-year increase in operating income was primarily due to higher revenues, better-than-anticipated productivity on certain projects and a favorable change order on a project. These increases were partially offset by labor and equipment inefficiencies and unfavorable change order adjustments on certain projects. Operating income, as a percentage of revenues, for our C&I segment increased to 4.5% for the year ended December 31, 2021 from 3.4% for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Corporate
The increase in corporate expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily attributable to higher incentive compensation and other employee-related expenses to support operations.
Non-GAAP Measures
EBITDA
EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure used by management that we define as net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. plus net income from noncontrolling interests, interest expense net of interest income, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization, as shown in the following table. EBITDA does not purport to be an alternative to net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. as a measure of operating performance or to net cash flows provided by operating activities as a measure of liquidity. We believe that EBITDA is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance and cash flow because EBITDA is widely used by investors to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods, book value of assets, useful lives placed on assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired. Because not all companies define EBITDA as we do, this presentation of EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies. We use, and we believe investors benefit from, the presentation of EBITDA in evaluating our operating performance because it provides us and our investors with an additional tool to compare our operating performance on a consistent basis by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect our core operations.
Using EBITDA as a performance measure has material limitations as compared to net income, or other financial measures as defined under GAAP, as it excludes certain recurring items, which may be meaningful to investors. EBITDA excludes interest expense net of interest income; however, as we have borrowed money to finance transactions and operations, or invested available cash to generate interest income, interest expense and interest income are elements of our cost structure and can affect our ability to generate revenue and returns for our stockholders. Further, EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization; however, as we use capital and intangible assets to generate revenues, depreciation and amortization are a necessary element of our costs and ability to generate revenue. Finally, EBITDA excludes income taxes; however, as we are organized as a corporation, the payment of taxes is a necessary element of our operations. As a result of these exclusions from EBITDA, any measure that excludes interest expense net of interest income, depreciation and amortization and income taxes has material limitations as compared to net income. When using EBITDA as a performance measure, management compensates for these limitations by comparing EBITDA to net income in each period, to allow for the comparison of the performance of the underlying core operations with the overall performance of the company on a full-cost, after-tax basis. Using both EBITDA and net income to evaluate the business allows management and investors to (a) assess our relative performance against our competitors and (b) monitor our capacity to generate returns for our stockholders.
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The following table provides a reconciliation of net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to MYR Group Inc. | $ | 85,010 | $ | 58,759 | $ | 37,690 | |||||
| Net loss - noncontrolling interests | (4) | — | (1,476) | ||||||||
| Net income | 85,006 | 58,759 | 36,214 | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 1,729 | 4,554 | 6,221 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 31,300 | 22,626 | 14,228 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 46,205 | 46,453 | 44,516 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 164,240 | $ | 132,392 | $ | 101,179 |
We also use EBITDA as a liquidity measure. Certain material covenants contained within our credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) are based on EBITDA with certain additional adjustments as defined in the Credit Agreement. Non-compliance with these financial covenants under the Credit Agreement — our interest coverage ratio which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and our leverage ratio, which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated Total Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement), divided by Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) — could result in our lenders requiring us to immediately repay all amounts borrowed. If we anticipated a potential covenant violation, we would seek relief from our lenders, likely causing us to incur additional cost, and such relief might not be available, or if available, might not be on terms as favorable as those in the Credit Agreement. In addition, if we cannot satisfy these financial covenants, we would be prohibited under the Credit Agreement from engaging in certain activities, such as incurring additional indebtedness, making certain payments, and acquiring or disposing of assets. Based on the information above, management believes that the presentation of EBITDA as a liquidity measure is useful to investors and relevant to their assessment of our capacity to service or incur debt, fund capital expenditures, finance acquisitions and expand our operations.
The following table provides a reconciliation of net cash flows provided by operating activities to EBITDA:
| For the year ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Net cash flows provided by operating activities | $ | 137,228 | $ | 175,167 | $ | 64,899 | |||||
| Add/(subtract) | |||||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities | 6,554 | (67,770) | 21,322 | ||||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities | (58,776) | (48,638) | (50,007) | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 46,205 | 46,453 | 44,516 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 31,300 | 22,626 | 14,228 | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 1,729 | 4,554 | 6,221 | ||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 164,240 | $ | 132,392 | $ | 101,179 |
Working Capital
Working capital is a non-GAAP measure, we believe that working capital is useful to investors and other external users of our Consolidated Financial Statements in evaluating our operating performance. The Company defines working capital as total current assets less total current liabilities. The following table provides the Company’s calculation of working capital:
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Total current assets | $ | 748,390 | $ | 636,684 | $ | 639,184 | |||||
| Less: total current liabilities | (498,599) | (443,400) | (396,814) | ||||||||
| Working capital | $ | 249,791 | $ | 193,284 | $ | 242,370 |
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Liquidity, Capital Resources and Material Cash Requirements
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had working capital of $249.8 million and $193.3 million, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2021, our operating activities provided cash of $137.2 million, compared to $175.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Cash flow from operations is primarily influenced by demand for our services, operating margins, timing of contract performance and the type of services we provide to our customers. The $37.9 million year-over-year decline in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to unfavorable net changes in operating assets and liabilities of $74.3 million, partially offset by a $26.2 million increase in net income, a $8.9 million increase in deferred income taxes and a $1.8 million increase in non-cash stock compensation expense. The unfavorable change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to net unfavorable year-over-year changes in various working capital accounts that relate primarily to the timing of costs incurred on work performed that does not coincide with the billing terms (accounts receivable, contract assets, accounts payable and contract liabilities) of $28.8 million, unfavorable changes of $34.8 million in other liabilities was primarily due to payments related to our deferral under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") in 2020, timing of other employee related wage and tax payments and higher employee incentive compensation accruals. In addition we used cash of $9.9 million in prepaid expenses and other assets.
During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we used net cash of $49.3 million and $40.9 million, respectively, in investing activities. The $49.3 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted of $52.4 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $3.1 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment. The $40.9 million of cash used in investing activities in the year ended December 31, 2020 consisted of $44.4 million for capital expenditures, partially offset by $3.4 million of proceeds from the sale of equipment.
During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we used cash of $28.1 million, and $124.3 million, respectively in financing activities. The $28.1 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted primarily of $24.9 million of net repayments under our master equipment loan agreements and $3.4 million of cash used to purchase shares surrendered by employees to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs during the year ended December 31, 2021. The $124.3 million of cash used in financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2020 consisted primarily of $103.8 million of net repayments under our revolving line of credit, $32.6 million of net repayments under our master equipment loan agreements, $1.2 million of repayments of finance lease obligations and $0.7 million of cash used to purchase shares surrendered by employees to satisfy tax obligations under our stock compensation programs. These uses of cash during the year ended December 31, 2020, were partially offset by $0.7 million of cash provided by proceeds from the exercise of stock options.
We believe that our $362.7 million borrowing availability under our revolving line of credit at December 31, 2021, future cash flow from operations and our ability to utilize short- and long-term leases will provide sufficient liquidity for our short- and long-term needs. Our primary short-term liquidity needs include cash for operations, debt service requirements, capital expenditures, acquisition and joint venture opportunities and $12.6 million of remaining payroll tax deferrals provided under the CARES Act, which will be paid by the end of next year. We believe that we have an adequate source of liquidity to meet our long-term liquidity needs and foreseeable material cash requirements, including those associated with the acquisition of the Powerline Companies on January 4, 2022, which was funded through a combination of cash on hand and borrowings under our line of credit. We continue to invest in developing key management and craft personnel in both our T&D and C&I markets and in procuring the specific specialty equipment and tooling needed to win and execute projects of all sizes and complexity.
We have not historically paid dividends and currently do not expect to pay dividends.
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Debt Instruments
Credit Agreement
On September 13, 2019, we entered into a five-year amended and restated credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of banks led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A. The Credit Agreement provides for a facility of $375 million (the “Facility”), subject to certain financial covenants as defined in the Credit Agreement, that may be used for revolving loans of which $150 million may be used for letters of credit. The Facility also allows for revolving loans and letters of credit in Canadian dollars and other currencies, up to the U.S. dollar equivalent of $75 million. We have an expansion option to increase the commitments under the Facility or enter into incremental term loans, subject to certain conditions, by up to an additional $200 million upon receipt of additional commitments from new or existing lenders. Subject to certain exceptions, the Facility is secured by substantially all of our assets and the assets of our domestic subsidiaries and by a pledge of substantially all of the capital stock of our domestic subsidiaries and 65% of the capital stock of our direct foreign subsidiaries. Additionally, subject to certain exceptions, our domestic subsidiaries also guarantee the repayment of all amounts due under the Credit Agreement. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Credit Agreement, amounts outstanding under the Facility may be accelerated and may become or be declared immediately due and payable. Borrowings under the Facility are used for refinancing existing debt, working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes.
Amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at our option, at a rate equal to either (1) the Alternate Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.00% to 0.75%; or (2) Adjusted LIBO Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.00% to 1.75%. The applicable margin is determined based on our consolidated leverage ratio (“Leverage Ratio”) which is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated Total Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement). Letters of credit issued under the Facility are subject to a letter of credit fee of 1.00% to 1.75% for non-performance letters of credit or 0.50% to 0.875% for performance letters of credit, based on our consolidated Leverage Ratio. We are subject to a commitment fee of 0.15% to 0.25%, based on our consolidated Leverage Ratio, on any unused portion of the Facility. The Credit Agreement restricts certain types of payments when our consolidated Leverage Ratio exceeds 2.50 or our consolidated Liquidity (as defined in the Credit Agreement) is less than $50 million.
Under the Credit Agreement, we are subject to certain financial covenants and are limited to a maximum consolidated Leverage Ratio of 3.0 and a minimum interest coverage ratio of 3.0. The minimum interest coverage ratio is defined in the Credit Agreement as Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) divided by interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement). The Credit Agreement also contains a number of covenants, including limitations on asset sales, investments, indebtedness and liens. We were in compliance with all of the financial covenants under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2021.
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had no debt outstanding under the Facility.
Letters of Credit
Some of our vendors require letters of credit to ensure reimbursement for amounts they are disbursing on our behalf, such as to beneficiaries under our insurance programs. In addition, from time-to-time certain customers require us to post letters of credit to ensure payment to our subcontractors and vendors under those contracts and to guarantee performance under our contracts. Such letters of credit are generally issued by a bank or similar financial institution. The letter of credit commits the issuer to pay specified amounts to the holder of the letter of credit if the holder claims that we have failed to perform specified actions in accordance with the terms of the letter of credit. If this were to occur, we would be required to reimburse the issuer of the letter of credit. Depending on the circumstances of such a reimbursement, we may also have to record a charge to earnings for the reimbursement. Currently, we do not believe that it is likely that any claims will be made under any letter of credit.
At December 31, 2021, we had $12.3 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement at an interest rate of 1.125%, which are almost entirely related to the Company's payment obligation under its insurance programs. At December 31, 2020, we had $10.4 million in letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Agreement, including $9.8 million, at an interest rate of 1.125%, related to the Company’s payment obligation under its insurance programs and approximately $0.6 million, at an interest rate of 0.625%, related to contract performance obligations.
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Equipment Notes
We have entered into multiple Master Loan Agreements with multiple banks. The Master Loan Agreements may be used for financing of equipment between us and the lending banks pursuant to one or more equipment notes (“Equipment Note”). Each Equipment Note constitutes a separate, distinct and independent financing of equipment and contractual obligation.
As of December 31, 2021, we had one outstanding Equipment Note collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. The outstanding balance of this Equipment Note was $4.5 million as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we had outstanding short-term and long-term Equipment Notes of approximately $1.0 million and $3.5 million, respectively. In addition to regularly scheduled payments we retired three of our Equipment Notes during the year ended December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2020, we had four outstanding Equipment Notes collateralized by equipment and vehicles owned by us. The outstanding balance of these Equipment Notes was $29.4 million as of December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, we had outstanding short-term and long-term Equipment Notes of approximately $4.4 million and $25.0 million, respectively.
Lease Obligations
From time-to-time, the Company enters into non-cancelable leases for some of our facility, vehicle and equipment needs. These leases allow the Company to conserve cash by paying a monthly lease rental fee for the use of facilities, vehicles and equipment rather than purchasing them. The Company’s leases have remaining terms ranging from one to six years, some of which may include options to extend the leases for up to five years, and some of which may include options to terminate the leases within one year. Typically, the Company has purchase options on the equipment underlying its long-term leases and many of its short-term rental arrangements. The Company may exercise some of these purchase options when the need for equipment is on-going and the purchase option price is attractive.
The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $21.0 million as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $7.8 million and $13.2 million, respectively. The outstanding balance of operating lease obligations was $22.3 million as of December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, we had outstanding short-term and long-term operating lease obligations of approximately $6.6 million and $15.7 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2021, we had no outstanding finance lease obligations. As of December 31, 2020, our outstanding short-term finance lease obligations was $0.3 million.
Purchase Commitments for Construction Equipment
As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately $9.2 million in outstanding purchase obligations for certain construction equipment to be paid with cash outlays scheduled to occur over the first eight months of 2022.
Performance and Payment Bonds and Parent Guarantees
Many customers, particularly in connection with new construction, require us to post performance and payment bonds issued by a financial institution known as a surety. These bonds provide a guarantee to the customer that we will perform under the terms of a contract and that we will pay subcontractors and vendors. If we fail to perform under a contract or to pay subcontractors and vendors, the customer may demand that the surety make payments or provide services under the bond. We must reimburse our sureties for any expenses or outlays they incur. Under our continuing indemnity and security agreements with our sureties, with the consent of our lenders under the Credit Agreement, we have granted security interests in certain of our assets to collateralize our obligations to the surety. We may be required to post letters of credit or other collateral in favor of the surety or our customers. Posting letters of credit in favor of the surety or our customers reduces the borrowing availability under the Credit Agreement. To date, we have not been required to make any reimbursements to any of our sureties for bond-related costs. We believe that it is unlikely that we will have to fund significant claims under our surety arrangements. As of December 31, 2021, an aggregate of approximately $1.39 billion in original face amount of bonds issued by our sureties were outstanding. Our estimated remaining cost to complete these bonded projects was approximately $607.0 million as of December 31, 2021.
From time to time we guarantee the obligations of our wholly owned subsidiaries, including obligations under certain contracts with customers, certain lease agreements, and, in some states, obligations in connection with obtaining contractors’ licenses. Additionally, from time to time we are required to post letters of credit to guarantee the obligations of our wholly owned subsidiaries, which reduces the borrowing availability under our credit facility.
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Concentration of Credit Risk
We grant trade credit under contractual payment terms, generally without collateral, to our customers, which include high credit quality electric utilities, governmental entities, general contractors and builders, owners and managers of commercial and industrial properties. Consequently, we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and economic factors. However, we generally have certain statutory lien rights with respect to services provided. Under certain circumstances such as foreclosures or negotiated settlements, we may take title to the underlying assets in lieu of cash in settlement of receivables. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, none of our customers individually exceeded 10.0% of our accounts receivable.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1 — Organization, Business and Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to our Financial Statements.
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities known to exist at the date of the Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates. We believe the following accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Financial Statements:
Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services provided. Revenue associated with contracts with customers is recognized over time as our performance creates or enhances customer-controlled assets or creates or enhances an asset with no alternative use, for which we have an enforceable right to receive compensation as defined under the contract. To determine the amount of revenue to recognize over time, we estimate profit by determining the difference between total estimated revenue and total estimated cost of a contract. In addition, we estimate a cost accrual every quarter that represents unbilled invoicing activity for services performed by subcontractors and suppliers during the quarter, and estimate revenue from the contract cost portion of this accrual based on current gross margin rates to be consistent with our cost method of revenue recognition. The estimated value of unbilled amounts are determined using a regression analysis that estimates value based on our historical experience, and is adjusted for large individual projects. The profit and corresponding revenue is recognized over the contract term based on costs incurred under the cost-to-cost method. We utilized the cost-to-cost method as we believe cost incurred best represents the amount of work completed and remaining on our projects, and is the most common basis for computing percentage of completion in our industry. For purposes of recognizing revenue, we follow the five-step approach outlined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606-10-25.
As the cost-to-cost method is driven by incurred cost, we calculate the percentage of completion by dividing costs incurred to date by the total estimated cost. The percentage of completion is then multiplied by estimated revenues to determine inception-to-date revenue. Revenue recognized for the period is the current inception-to-date recognized revenue less the prior period inception-to-date recognized revenue. If a contract is projected to result in a loss, the entire contract loss is recognized in the period when the loss was first determined and the amount of the loss is updated in subsequent reporting periods. Because our billings are based on contract terms and do not coincide with our progress in a project, revenue recognition also includes an amount related to our contract asset or contract liability. If the recognized revenue is greater than the amount billed to the customer, a contract asset is recorded. Additionally, the contract asset includes retainage billed to the customer that cannot be collected until the contract work has been completed and approved. Conversely, if the amount billed to the customer is greater than the recognized revenue, a contract liability is recorded. Additionally, the contract liability includes a liability for the excess of costs over revenues for all contracts that are in a loss position.
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Contract costs incurred to date and expected total contract costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract. Changes in the job performance, job conditions and final contract settlements are factors that influence management’s assessment of total contract value and the total estimated costs to complete those contracts, and therefore, profit and revenue recognition. Additionally, we estimate costs to complete on fixed price contracts which are determined on an individual contract basis by evaluating each project’s status as of the balance sheet date, and using our historical experience with the level of effort required to complete the underlying project. Claims and change orders are also measured based on our historical experience with individual customers and similar contracts, and are evaluated by management individually. A change order is a modification to a contract that changes the provisions of the contract, typically resulting from changes in scope, specifications, design, manner of performance, facilities, equipment, materials, sites, or period of completion of the work under the contract. A claim is an amount in excess of the agreed-upon contract price that we seek to collect from our clients or others for client-caused delays, errors in specifications and designs, contract terminations, change orders that are either in dispute or are unapproved as to both scope and price, or other causes. We include these estimated amounts of variable consideration to the extent that it is probable there will not be a significant reversal of revenue. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recognized revenues of $2.4 million and $14.7 million, respectively, related to significant change orders and/or claims that had been included as contract price adjustments on certain contracts, some of which are multi-year projects.
Some of our contracts may have contract terms that include variable consideration such as safety or performance bonuses or liquidated damages. In accordance with ASC 606-10-32, we estimate the variable consideration using one of two methods. In contracts in which there is a binary outcome, the most likely amount method is used. In instances in which there is a range of possible outcomes, the expected value method is used. In accordance with ASC 606-10-32-11, we include the estimated amount of variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative recognized revenue will not occur when the final outcome of the variable consideration is determined. In contracts in which a significant reversal may occur, we use constraint in recognizing revenue on variable consideration. Although we often enter into contracts that contain liquidated damage clauses, we rarely incur them, and as such, we do not include amounts associated with liquidated damage clauses until it is probable that liquidated damages will occur. These items are continually monitored by multiple levels of management throughout the reporting period.
A portion of the work we perform requires financial assurances in the form of performance and payment bonds or letters of credit at the time of execution of the contract. Many of our contracts include retention provisions of up to 10%, which are generally withheld from each progress payment as retainage until the contract work has been completed and approved.
The accuracy of our revenue and profit recognition in a given period is dependent on the accuracy of our estimates of the cost to complete each project. Cost estimates for all of our significant projects use a detailed “bottoms up” approach and we believe our experience typically allows us to provide materially reliable estimates. There are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in estimates of contract cost and profitability. The most significant of these include, among others:
•the completeness and accuracy of the original bid;
•costs associated with scope changes, change orders or claims;
•costs of labor and/or materials;
•extended overhead due to owner, weather and other delays;
•subcontractor performance issues;
•changes in productivity expectations;
•site conditions that differ from those assumed in the original bid (to the extent contract remedies are unavailable);
•the availability and skill level of workers in the geographic location of the project; and
•a change in the availability and proximity of equipment and materials.
The foregoing factors as well as the stage of completion of contracts in process and the mix of contracts at different margins may cause fluctuations in gross profit between periods. During the year ended December 31, 2021, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects increased consolidated gross margin by 0.4%. During the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, changes in estimates pertaining to certain projects decreased consolidated gross margin by 0.8%.
We provide warranties to customers on a basis customary to the industry; however, the warranty period does not typically exceed one year. Historically, warranty claims have not been material.
Total revenues do not include sales tax as we consider ourselves a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales taxes. Sales tax and value added tax collected from customers is included in other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.
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Insurance. We carry insurance policies, which are subject to certain deductibles, for workers’ compensation, general liability, automobile liability and other coverages. Our deductible for each line of coverage is up to $1.0 million, except for wildfire coverage which has a deductible of $2.0 million. We also maintain excess umbrella coverage providing higher layers of insurance coverage for losses that exhaust the limits of underlying coverage. A layer of this umbrella coverage requires us to pay a portion of any loss within a certain loss range and our potential exposure for such losses is up to approximately $3.8 million. Certain health benefit plans are subject to stop-loss limits of up to $0.2 million, for qualified individuals. Losses up to the deductible and stop-loss amounts are accrued based upon our estimates of the ultimate liability for claims reported and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported.
The insurance and claims accruals are based on known facts, actuarial estimates and historical trends. While recorded accruals are based on the ultimate liability, which includes amounts in excess of the deductible, a corresponding receivable for amounts in excess of the deductible is included in current assets on our consolidated balance sheets.
Stock-Based Compensation. We determine compensation expense for stock-based awards based on the estimated fair values at the grant date and recognize the related compensation expense ratably over the vesting period. We use the straight-line amortization method to recognize compensation expense related to stock-based awards, such as restricted stock and restricted stock units, that have only service conditions. This method recognizes stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards that vest based on internal performance metrics and service conditions on a straight-line basis over the service period, but adjust inception-to-date expense based upon our determination of the expected achievement of the performance target at each reporting date which may vary from zero to 200% of the target performance awards. We recognize compensation expense related to performance awards with market-based performance metrics on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. We recognize forfeitures as they occur. Shares issued under the Company’s stock-based compensation program are taken out of authorized but unissued shares.
Goodwill and Intangibles. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. We perform either a qualitative or quantitative assessment to review goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment on an annual basis. This assessment is performed at the beginning of the fourth quarter, or when circumstances change, such as a significant adverse change in the business climate or the decision to sell a business, both of which would indicate that impairment may have occurred. Intangible assets with finite lives are also reviewed for impairment and tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
A qualitative assessment considers financial, industry, segment and macroeconomic factors, if the qualitative assessment indicates a potential for impairment, a quantitative assessment is performed to determine if impairment exists. The quantitative assessment begins with a comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit or intangible asset with its carrying value. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit or intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss would be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of the goodwill allocated to the reporting unit or intangible asset. If the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite lived assets exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment charge would be recorded in the statement of operations.
As a result of the annual qualitative review process in 2020 and 2019, we determined it was not necessary to perform a qualitative assessment. In 2021, we performed a quantitative assessment on our goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives, this assessment did not indicate that our goodwill or indefinite lived intangible assets were impaired.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We do not generally charge interest to our customers, and we carry our customer receivables at their face amounts, less an allowance for doubtful accounts. Based on our experience in recent years, the majority of customer balances at each balance sheet date are collected within twelve months. As is common practice in the industry, we classify all accounts receivable as current assets. The allowance for doubtful accounts associated with account receivables was $2.4 million as of December 31, 2021 and $1.7 million as of December 31, 2020.
We grant trade credit, on a non-collateralized basis (with the exception of lien rights against the property in certain cases) to our customers, and we are subject to potential credit risk related to changes in business and overall economic activity. We analyze specific accounts receivable balances, historical bad debts, customer credit-worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In the event that a customer balance is deemed to be uncollectible the account balance is written-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts.
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